


Elemental

by Qitana



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, F/F, Lots of platonic bonding for the soul, Multi, Rated E for later chapters, Unresolved Sexual Tension, also, earth and metal bender! iwaizumi, its iwaoi centric but the other couples are important too, lots of fighting sequences, maybe someday I'll find a summary i like, other characters abilities are a secret, there's a bunch of cute spirit animals, waterbender! Oikawa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-05 15:10:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11015961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qitana/pseuds/Qitana
Summary: Generation after generation, the spirit of good passes down from Avatar to Avatar, as they create a cycle between the air, water, earth and fire tribes. And the Avatar is tasked with maintaining peace and balance, between the tribes and the material and spirit worlds.Iwaizumi didn’t really like the idea of the Avatar. A person that yields that much power could only be a pompous prick in his opinion. But all that changed when he actually did end up meeting her. She wasn’t rude, or disrespectful, or even the least bit arrogant. She was strong, calm, grounding. A force to reckon with.And she mostly certainly wasn’tOikawa.





	1. Water, meet Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys, welcome to my latest AU! I'm sure this has been done before, but I wanted to give this particular AU a twist of my own, so enjoy! This fic is hopefully going to be a long one like I plan it to be. 
> 
> So for everyone that hasn't watched Avatar, this is all you need to know- the world is divided into four nations, the Earth, Air, Fire and Water nations. Each nation consists mostly of people that bend that particular element and these people are known as benders. A person can bend only one element, even if their parents bend different elements. Only an entity known as the Avatar can bend all four elements and they are supposed to keep balance in this world and the spirit world (another concept I shall introduce within the story itself.) The Avatar is constantly reborn in each nation and the next one is born only after the previous one dies. Now special features about each place shall be described as the story progresses. While I have stayed loyal to a few aspects of the original series, I may take some liberties and add details of my own.  
> However, during the entire course of this fic, no Avatar spoilers will be given, so rest assured! Also, if you haven't seen Avatar, please make sure you do, it's absolutely wonderful. 
> 
>  
> 
> _Do not watch the movie though. It's.. sad._

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s _something_ about this man. Something Iwaizumi can’t explain, something that attracts Iwaizumi to him, and he has a feeling this man’s about to change his life, for better or worse. 
> 
> He’s just not sure if he’s ready for it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *excited noises* so guys, if you know nothing about Avatar, no worries at all! Just makes sure to read the header notes and you're pretty much good to go! 
> 
> Happy reading!

Iwaizumi’s every day regime is quite simple. 

He wakes up at dawn, just in time to see the sunrise, which is followed by a quick work out in the forest, where he reshapes the land with his bending. After that, he goes to the riverbank nearby to bathe and clean up and once he’s done, he sets off for the village and towards the small academy where he teaches metal bending to the youngsters. He’s a simple man, and honestly, he has no problems with that. 

Of course, life has a strange way of messing pretty much _everything_ up. 

The morning starts off like any other. Iwaizumi is awake to see the orange rays bathe the entire world in its warm hues while the sun rises over the mountain range and soon he sets off, finding his regular spot. The small piece of land he works on is devoid of any plants, and the land is a mixture of smooth and rough, elevated and depressed and consists of various materials, all thanks to his two years of bending there. He tends to practice everything, from bending metal to coal, and he’s pretty good, if he may say so himself. After an hour’s worth of training, Iwaizumi heads back to his humble home, picks up some fresh clothes and a couple of water pouches before heading for the river, beyond ready to take that well needed bath. 

The river is where he first lays eyes on _him._

It’s too early for anyone to be by the riverside, especially at that specific spot. Iwaizumi never bumps into any one, so it’s more than a rude surprise when he sees a man trudging along the bank, barely standing upright. He’s dressed like a waterbender, probably from the northern tribe, based on the beautiful blue colour of the clothes that adorn his body. White fur lines the colour of his coat, and he’s also wearing brown knee length boots. His hood is up, so Iwaizumi can’t see his face, but even though his behavior is blatantly suspicious, Iwaizumi’s instincts tell him the man’s no threat whatsoever. In fact, if anything, the man really, _really_ needs his help. 

The moment the thought crosses Iwaizumi's head, the man passes out, right in front of him, falling first to his knees, then to his side, his face away from Iwaizumi. Not wasting another moment, Iwaizumi rushes to his side and gets to his knees as well, trying to assess the situation. The first thing he does is turn the man around and onto his back and pulls his hood off, just to get a clear look at his face. 

He expects scars, maybe a really ugly one running across the man’s face. Or maybe it’s the face of some wanted criminal, since a board full of those posters sits right outside the academy and he’s made it a point to glance at it at least once a day. He even expects to see a woman, travelling in men’s clothes just to blend in better. 

What he doesn’t expect, not even in his _wildest_ dreams, is to come face to face with perhaps the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on, _ever_. 

Attractive is an understatement, if he’s being completely honest. Even with exhaustion clearly painted across the man’s face, his sharp features and slightly tanned skin takes Iwaizumi’s breath away. His lips are full and pink, his eyelashes long and lush, and his head has a mop of brown hair that looks so soft and inviting, Iwaizumi has to almost _physically_ stop himself from touching it. 

Clearing his throat unnaturally loudly, Iwaizumi inhales deeply and frowns. There’s no way he can just leave the man here, but simply bringing him home seems like a stupid thing to do. It doesn’t matter though; in the end he knows he can’t live with himself if he doesn’t help the man now, so without waiting any longer, Iwaizumi gathers the stranger in his arms and stands up, surprised at how light he is even though he seems to be a little taller than Iwaizumi (a fact he resents with _all_ his heart.) 

The walk back is quick and uneventful, and soon Iwaizumi sees the roof of his home coming into view. Making a bee line for it, Iwaizumi rushes in and places the stranger on his bed, making sure to do so gently. He spends a few more seconds simply looking at the man, unable to understand why he feels so _ridiculously_ , strongly attracted to him, but when he’s unable to come up with any reason whatsoever, Iwaizumi just shrugs and stands up. He knows he can’t go to work today, not when he has a slightly odd situation at hand that needs resolving. 

Whistling softly, Iwaizumi calls for his messenger hawk. She swiftly flies in and perches herself on to his forearm. She lovingly ducks her head down and rubs her feathers under Iwaizumi’s chin, tickling him. Chuckling, Iwaizumi scratches her neck before moving to the other side of the room and pulling out a parchment. Quickly scribbling an apology for his absence, Iwaizumi attaches the note to the hawk’s back and pets it once more. 

“Deliver this to Irihata-sensei, Ivy.” 

Ivy sqwaks in understanding before spreading her wings and taking flight, right out of his window. Iwaizumi watches her go fondly before turning to face the stranger again, unsure of how to move forward with the situation. It doesn’t look like he’s going to wake up any time soon, that’s for damn sure. 

Iwaizumi sighs loudly before moving towards the food cabinet. “Why me?” he grumbles under his breath, but he’s not exactly upset. 

There’s _something_ about this man. Something Iwaizumi can’t explain, something that attracts Iwaizumi to him, and he has a feeling this man’s about to change his life, for better or worse. 

He’s just not sure if he’s ready for it. 

~

The first thought to flit through Oikawa’s mind the moment he’s conscious is _Goddamn, this bed is hard_ which is closely followed by _I am so thirsty_. An honorable mention also goes to _Where the hell am I?_

He moves to re-position himself and sits up, but the second he does, there’s a rush in his head that disorients him completely. He feels like throwing up, but he’s completely empty stomached. He’s also thirsty, very much so. 

Recognizing the signs of him losing his calm, Oikawa sucks in a deep breath and lets his eyes flutter open, allowing his vision to adjust to the light, taking in his surroundings.  


Brown. Everything is a warm, inviting _brown_ that’s got a homey feel to it. Oikawa can’t explain it, but he really likes it, even though he’s grown up around ice his entire life. It’s something different, something beautiful. 

The moment he smells the food, Oikawa’s stomach growls loudly, like a walrus. Immediately, he covers it with his hands, trying to calm it down but he can’t help it- in addition to being thirsty, he hasn’t eaten a decent cooked meal in over two weeks, since he left. And he has to admit, he misses it more than he’d ever thought possible. 

“Oh, you’re up! About time.”

Oikawa turns to the right, trying to locate the source of the voice and his breath hitches in his throat when he sees _him_. 

_If masculine the adjective were a person, it’s probably this guy_ he thinks, trying to resume his breathing. Everything about the man says strong, physically and otherwise. He’s handsome, Oikawa notes, in an understated way. He’s wearing the typical earth kingdom colours of brown and olive green, and a shirt that has no sleeves which is good _and_ bad. His arms are, to say the least, absolutely _gorgeous_. It’s like they were sculpted to perfection, graced with hard muscle and tanned skin, cut in all the right places. He’s also a little shorter than Oikawa, and his black hair is ridiculously spiky. 

“Y-yeah,” Oikawa clears his throat, trying to distract himself long enough to get his staring under control. 

The man moves closer to the bed before taking a seat nearby, turning to face Oikawa. 

“What’s your name?” 

Oikawa stares at him for a second, and in that second he decides he can trust this man. It scares him, how easily he’s willing to expose himself to this person, but every cell in his body is drawn to him and it’s a sensation he’s never experienced before. It’s, in a way, exhilarating. 

“Oikawa Tooru. And you are?” 

The man nods slowly. “Oikawa huh? I’m Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

Oikawa slowly swings his legs off the bed and lets his feet touch the floor. It’s smooth, the kind of smooth you wear socks and slide on. He likes the sensation and smiles softly before looking up and right into Iwaizumi’s eyes. 

“Thank you.” He means it, more than he can ever admit. “For taking me in. You didn’t have to do that, but you did anyway.” 

Iwaizumi shrugs, “Couldn’t let you die now, could I? Imagine how big a pain that would be.”

_Not much for you_ Oikawa thinks but doesn’t say. He’s grateful either way. 

“You hungry? I made stew.” 

Oikawa’s eyes light up at the mention of food, and he immediately nods. “Yes please! But, um, could I please get some water first?”

“Oh yeah, sure.” Iwaizumi stands up and stretches before walking towards a table in the other room and coming back with a pouch. He pulls off the lid but before he can hand it over to Oikawa, the man bends the water out of the pouch and right into his mouth, unable to wait a second longer. The cold liquid slides down his throat in a gush and he sighs, the relief a stark contrast to the unease he’s been feeling this past couple of days. 

“So, you’re a water bender.” 

Oikawa realizes what he’s just done and moves to apologize but Iwaizumi waves it away. “It’s alright, I’m sure you were really parched. Besides, I’ve met a couple of water benders before. I’m an Earth bender myself.” Iwaizumi gently stamps the ground and creates a seat for himself before plopping down. Oikawa’s eyes widen in utter astonishment. 

“I’ve never met an Earth bender before!” 

Iwaizumi’s eyebrows furrow. “Really? That’s kinda surprising since you’re quite deep into Earth kingdom territory.” 

Oikawa pouts. “I tend to stick beside the river and I don’t really meet anyone. In fact, it’s been days since I met anyone.” 

Iwaizumi nods, “I guess. Anyway, come on, lets get some food inside you.” 

The journey to Iwaizumi’s table is a short yet slightly painful one, but Oikawa makes it there without killing himself or any of the handmade furniture. The stew is really good he notes, helping himself to several servings, making sure to gush over the food repeatedly to the chef. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and barks at him to _shut up_ , but there’s just the slightest tinge in his cheeks, giving away his happiness. Oikawa finds it beyond endearing. 

“So,” Iwaizumi says, right after they’re done eating, “what’s your deal?” 

Oikawa isn’t quite sure how to explain his situation. It’s beyond complicated, and besides, while he trusts Iwaizumi, he can’t trust him with everything. Not yet. 

“Um..”

“I only ask cause you’re packed so lightly.” Iwaizumi points at the small bag pack kept neatly in the corner. “Also, you’re far from home. Assuming you’re from the north.” 

Oikawa sighs. He owes the man _something_ for his hospitality. 

“I am from the north, and I’m actually travelling to the south, to meet my maternal grandparents.” 

Iwaizumi studies his face for a second, scrutinizing him very closely. Oikawa’s been stared at before but never like this. It isn’t sexual or lustful, but it’s intense nonetheless, maybe even more so. Oikawa wants to look away but he can’t, not till Iwaizumi drops his gaze. 

“Hmm.” 

“Actually, I’d love to know- where am I right now?”

Iwaizumi smiles at him, an easy smile that makes his mouth go dry. “You’re in the north eastern villages of the Earth kingdom.” 

Oikawa stares at him in awe. “Are you serious? That’s so cool!” 

When Iwaizumi looks at him strangely, Oikawa explains. “This is the first time I’ve ever left home, so I kinda get excited about pretty much everything.” 

Iwaizumi laughs but quickly covers it up with a cough, effectively fooling neither of them, but Oikawa pretends, for his sake. 

They sit in silence for a few more minutes before Oikawa coughs awkwardly. “So yeah, I should probably get going soon, thanks aga-“

“You can stay.” 

Oikawa never, in his whole life, had ever felt such relief. It’s that unexplainable attraction, that _pull_ he feels towards Iwaizumi, that’s killing him. He’s never felt it before, but he does now, and he doesn’t want to let go, not any time soon. Not when it feels so right. 

“You’re still looking weak as hell, not to mention you’re in one of the better Earth kingdom villages. You could stay a couple of days, you know, regaining your strength and exploring, before you leave.” 

Oikawa nods along, already vibrating with excitement. “Sounds like a plan! Thank you so much, Iwa-chan.” 

The entire world comes to a standstill the moment those two words leave Oikawa’s mouth. He has this habit of giving people annoying nicknames that stick, and once he makes one, he never goes back. From the looks of it, Iwaizumi doesn’t appreciate it, _at all_ , but Oikawa can’t undo it anymore. He is now, officially and forever, _Iwa-chan._

“Don’t call me that or I’ll bend you into a metal tomb and never let you out.” 

Oikawa sticks his tongue out and laughs, “Try me, Iwa-chan. I’m way stronger than I look.” 

Iwaizumi raises a brow, clearly unimpressed. “Says the guy that passed out just three hours ago.” 

Oikawa’s face burns, and he pulls his collar up, hiding the bottom half of his face. “Shut up,” he mumbles into the thick material, embarrassed beyond belief. Iwaizumi laughs, a sound that’s as loud as it is comforting, and Oikawa smiles too, just the tiniest bit. 

He hasn’t felt this nice in years. 

~

Having another person all up in his space is weird for Iwaizumi. He’s been on his own for so long, living with company is something he realizes he’ll actually have to get used to again. 

Oikawa is, without a doubt, one of the most annoying people Iwaizumi’s ever met. There’s no end to his chatter, no end to the everlasting enthusiasm that lights up his entire face, and absolutely no end to that stupid nickname. Iwaizumi isn’t against nicknames, but he doesn’t know Oikawa well enough, and the name is far too cute for someone like Iwaizumi. He has to admit though, somewhere really, really deep down, he doesn’t truly mind. 

Dinner that night is a loud affair. Oikawa accompanies him to the village and purchases some fish and some spices before lugging all the groceries home. He then asks to borrow Iwaizumi’s cutlery and sets out to makes some sort of fish curry. Iwaizumi’s skeptical of his skill, but as long as Oikawa puts out his own fires, he isn't really opposed to it. Besides, it smells kinda good.

“Iwa-chan, I’m done! You must try it, it’s actually come out pretty well! It’s a northern tribe delicacy.” 

The curry is a little watery, but it’s very aromatic, and the first bite is pretty tasty. Iwaizumi notes that he doesn’t really mind the flavor of fish, but he does realize it’s quite strong, and probably requires some getting used to. 

“How is it?” 

Iwaizumi looks up from his bowl and is startled to notice Oikawa’s face right next to his. Clearing his throat, he pushes Oikawa away before huffing. “It’s fine, it’s pretty good. Maybe a little more salt next time.”

Oikawa’s eyes twinkle and he grins even wider before digging in. They make small talk, which then turns into Oikawa telling him all sorts of tales from the north, ranging from ghost stories to tales about all the spirits he’s befriended. Iwaizumi listens, not just to be polite, but because Oikawa is a pretty damn good speaker. They talk well into the night, and by the time Iwaizumi goes to bed, he’s more tired than he’s been in forever. 

His sleep that night by far the _deepest_ he’s had in years. 

The next morning, Iwaizumi wakes up to find that the sun has already risen and he doesn't remember the last time that's happened. It doesn’t upset him, but he does think it odd. Then the memories from the previous night flood in and Iwaizumi looks around, trying to locate Oikawa in the bed he’d made on the other side of the room. It’s empty, the blanket thrown across haphazardly. For a minute, Iwaizumi thinks he’s been robbed and his blood turns cold, but right next to the bed he notices Oikawa’s bag and a blade he hadn’t seen before. It’s white, probably made from a walrus’s tooth, and sharp. 

Moving about quickly, Iwaizumi sets off to his usual field and begins his bending. He isn't slow and patient as usual today, his movements quick and a bit jerky. He cant seem to concentrate no matter what he does, and he decides to blame Oikawa before calling it a day. Walking back home, Iwaizumi picks up some fresh clothes and water pouches before heading for his spot. He has a feeling he’ll see a certain waterbender there. 

He’s right. 

As he comes upon the riverbank, he sees Oikawa, standing waist deep in the water. The river glides over his skin smoothly, like butter, calm and gentle. Oikawa’s clothes lie in a heap on the edge of the bank, and Iwaizumi can’t help the soft whistle of appreciation when he takes in the man’s body. 

He’s slender, though most people are in comparison to Iwaizumi. Slender, but lean, his arms and back toned quite nicely. His skin is only slightly tanned, but seems completely smooth, unblemished. Iwaizumi feels ashamed of himself for spying, so he makes a move to walk closer and expose himself when a movement from Oikawa, so subtle Iwaizumi could’ve missed it, makes him stop. 

Oikawa starts _bending_. 

Iwaizumi has already seen him bend a little- while taking the water from him, while mixing the curry, while putting out the one fire that had happened. He seems to know exactly what he's was doing, but Iwaizumi doesn’t know the extent of his strength. And he certainly isn’t prepared for what he sees. 

Oikawa performs simple maneuvers by the looks of it, each move slow and easy, but the water flows like it’s an extension of his body. His back is to Iwaizumi so he can’t see the man’s face, but his hand movements are clearly visible. It’s like a dance, Iwaizumi notes, and the water ebbs and flows seamlessly. He seems to be bending a large quantity of water with no problems at all, and Iwaizumi realizes that Oikawa wasn’t kidding when he said he was a lot stronger than he looked. 

Then again, nothing about Oikawa screams weak. 

Deciding enough is enough, Iwaizumi walks out of the tree cover and heads for the riverside, making sure his footsteps are plenty loud. Oikawa turns his head and flashes Iwaizumi a cheeky smile before continuing his bending. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and strips off all his clothes, leaving him in his underwear. Just as he makes his way to the water, a whole glob of it falls flat on his head, drenching him instantly. Oikawa howls with laughter, the sound echoing through the trees. 

Iwaizumi calmly stares at Oikawa, quirking his brow just the slightest bit. Oikawa’s laughter grows softer and softer till he ends up simply staring at Iwaizumi fearfully, and Iwaizumi thoroughly enjoys the look on his face. 

Suddenly, Iwaizumi slams his foot down and the land beneath Oikawa rises high, and he squeals loudly, grabbing the land beneath him. He moves his hand as if to bend a little water, but Iwaizumi beats him to it. 

“Oh no you don’t!” 

Iwaizumi slaps his hands together and makes a curling motion, and suddenly Oikawa’s hands are cuffed to the tiny piece of land he’s stuck on. Oikawa’s eyes are as wide as saucers and Iwaizumi’s grin is triumphant. 

“I honestly thought you’d know better than to try and pull a fast one on me.” 

Oikawa swallows thickly and nods. “Yes, I am very sorry, so could you maybe uncuff me?” 

Iwaizumi stops in his tracks and frowns. “You gave up awfully fast for someone that started this whole thing.” 

Oikawa continues to fight against the cuffs, but to no avail. He looks up again, his eyes filled with fear. “I really am sorry but you should really uncuff me.” 

Iwaizumi grunts, ruffling his own hair. “You make no sense. I’ll uncuff you as long as you tell me why you had such a sudden change of heart.” 

“I-“

“You?” Iwaizumi prompts. 

“I’m, I’m not-“ 

Iwaizumi moves a little closer. “You’re not-?” 

“I’m not wearing underwear!” Oikawa wails, his face redder than the tomatoes Iwaizumi had purchased the day before. Iwaizumi freezes completely, gawking at Oikawa. Before he knows it, he’s just as flustered as Oikawa. Immediately, he releases Oikawa’s hands and pushes the land back into the ground, Oikawa going underwater with the movement. Iwaizumi immediately runs into the river a little ways off, and dunks his head in, trying to cool his overheated cheeks. 

“Iwa-chan you baka!” Oikawa continues to wail, sounding scandalized. Iwaizumi tries for a neutral, death stare when he resurfaces, but he can’t stop smiling for some reason. 

“You know, if anyone’s the idiot, it’s you. How did you not wear underwear in a public place like this?” 

Oikawa pouts, and Iwaizumi dislikes the way his brain automatically registers the motion as cute. 

“I didn’t think Iwa-chan would expose me like that to the elements!” 

“You were _already_ exposed to the elements!” Iwaizumi counters, hands flaying around. “You are _very_ naked, in a _very_ public river, in a _very_ public location. I fail to see how I’m at fault.” 

Oikawa opens his mouth to argue back but his lips just open and close like a gaping fish before he snaps his mouth shut and turns around like a petulant child. “Just- whatever! You’re an idiot. Now turn around, I need to get out and change.” 

Iwaizumi turns around and begins scrubbing his arms and torso fiercely, half way between seething and thoroughly amused. 

“What a freaking idiot,” he growls under his breath. “He’s the naked one and I’m the idiot?” 

Iwaizumi turns around just in time to see Oikawa tying the strings of his pants. He’s removed the jacket in favor of just a plain white shirt with his trousers, since it’s far too warm for winter clothes, and with his bending, he’d already dried himself completely. His hair stands like a warm fluff ball atop his head, with just a tiny cowlick. For a second Iwaizumi wonders if the bastard ever looks bad. 

“So, what do you do all day?” Oikawa inquires, plopping down onto the ground. Iwaizumi expects to feel a little self conscious about the fact that he’s bathing in front of an almost stranger but he’s surprised to notice he really doesn’t care. 

“I teach metal bending at the academy in town. I’m one of the few adult metal benders around.” 

Oikawa’s mouth drops open and he stares at Iwaizumi in awe, like he’s just been exposed to a life changing revelation. “You’re a metal bender? And a teacher? Aren’t metal benders really rare?” 

Iwaizumi shrugs, his hands roaming the expanse of his torso as he rinses of the sweat and dirt from yesterday. “Not really. I mean, every one in a hundred earth benders can bend metal, but I truly believe any Earthbender can bend metal. You just have to be connected to world around you.” 

“Huh.” Oikawa’s gaze gets lost in the distance and Iwaizumi finishes up with his bath, softly humming under his breath. When he’s finally done, he slowly walks out of the river and picks up his towel to dry off. Just as it touches his face, he feels a gentle pull all over his skin, though the sensation lasts for a mere few seconds. The moment it stops, Iwaizumi notices he’s completely dry. 

“You’re welcome,” Oikawa grins, getting to his feet. “My bending is quite useful right?” 

Iwaizumi nods in agreement. “Certainly! If you can make a mouth gag out of water for yourself, I’d say your bending is just about perfect.” 

Oikawa shakes his head, a look of mock sadness on his face. “You wound me, Iwa-chan.” 

“If I wanted to wound you, you’d be wounded.” 

Oikawa sticks his tongue out and Iwaizumi snorts, still unable to comprehend how the man can go from infuriating to graceful to an absolute mess to an absolute idiot in mere moments. He really is a mystery. 

The two walk back to the hut and get ready for the day, Oikawa complaining about a lack of clothes and Iwaizumi snipping at him to stop being so whiny. Oikawa follows him into the village and again, he seems absolutely fascinated by all things Earth Kingdom. Iwaizumi can understand where some of that enthusiasm comes from, so he doesn’t make fun of him. Yet. 

“That’s the academy.” Iwaizumi points at a rather large, old building with vines growing everywhere. The building is surrounded by trees and rocks and seasonal flowers, currently a very soothing lilac. Oikawa’s eyes rove over the structure as if committing it to memory before he turns to stare at Iwaizumi again, that same stupid blinding smile on his face. 

“Well Iwa-chan, I’m going to roam around some more! I’ll see you after class, have a good day!” 

Iwaizumi reflects Oikawa’s words before walking into the building. He goes straight to his room and rummages through his stuff, trying to find the ‘textbook’ Irihata-sensei had made him, as a guide on how and what to teach the kids on metal bending. While most of the class was yet to get a hang of it, Iwaizumi has some pretty promising kids he knows will someday be famous for the skill of metal bending. 

“Iwaizumi-san!” A familiar voice calls out. Iwaizumi turns to greet Yahaba Shigeru, a colleague and good friend. “We missed you yesterday at work! What happened?” 

“A waterbender passed out by the river so I took him in and he made me fish curry.” 

The smile on Yahaba’s face falters before he sighs in exasperation. “Iwaizumi-san, longer sentences please.” 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and continues to look for his textbook while explaining the situation to Yahaba who listens with a surprising amount of interest. When he finally finds it, he grabs a few of his rocks as well and starts walking towards the field, Yahaba still in tow. 

“So now he’s going to stay for a while, till he recuperates and then be on his merry way.” 

Yahaba whistles softly, his eyes sparkling. “Wow, sounds like quite a bit of trouble just came knocking on your doorstep huh?”

“Tell me about it,” Iwaizumi groans in agreement. The field comes into view, but before Iwaizumi can take another step towards it, a hand grabs his elbow gently. 

“I just have one question,” Yahaba whispers, almost conspiringly. Iwaizumi looks at him, more than a little suspicious. 

“And what’s that?” 

“Is he cute?” 

Iwaizumi’s first reaction is to spit out a _Hell no!_ but if there’s one thing Iwaizumi’s not, it’s a liar. He can’t deny that he finds Oikawa attractive, he’s sure most people would. Admitting that out loud however, proves to be a daunting task. 

“He’s not bad looking.” 

Yahaba gasps, a hand flying up to cover his mouth. “Oh, so he must be gorgeous! Iwaizumi-san, don’t hide him from us! You must introduce us.” 

“The idea of the two of you being anywhere near each other is enough to give me nightmares.” Iwaizumi’s statement is accompanied by a shudder of horror. Yahaba and Oikawa, if put together, would certainly be a force to reckon with. 

“Now go away,” Iwaizumi says, adjusting his sleeves. “Don’t you have a teacher to train?” 

Yahaba’s face turns sour at the mention of the new recruit, Mad Dog, and Iwaizumi laughs. He pats his back affectionately while wishing him luck before finally, heading to class.  


It’s barely 9 oclock, and he’s already having a weird day. 

~

“You seem to be in a good mood today.” 

Iwaizumi’s eating lunch with Irihata–sensei, and the comment comes to him as a surprise. 

“Is that so?” 

Sensei nods, chewing slowly on a piece of bread before continuing, “You’re smiling more easily, and a lot, compared to normal. Even after those children managed to stab a pillar with that meteorite you were saving for months.” 

Iwaizumi grimaces at the thought. “That was a bad moment.” 

Irihata laughs, his eyes crinkling even more. “Yeah, I guess it was. So, does the happy mood have anything to do with you not coming to work yesterday? If so, I’m glad you took the day off, even if you gave me close to no notice whatsoever.” 

Iwaizumi laughs awkwardly, slowly rubbing the back of his head. “Maybe? I just bumped into a waterbender and now he’s staying at my place till he’s well enough to travel again.” 

Irihata doesn’t say anything, simply appraises Iwaizumi for a moment before resuming his eating. The rest of their meal progresses in silence till their plates are wiped clean. 

“Are you going to be ok?” 

Iwaizumi smiles softly, lifting both his and sensei’s plate off the plate and walking towards the sink. “I think so. I haven’t felt this young in a long, long time.” 

He doesn’t have to turn around and look when he hears sensei mumble out a _Good, that’s good_ to know that he’s smiling. 

~

“Iwa-chan! There you are~”

Iwaizumi feels his ears burn, and he really wants to make that metal tomb for Oikawa. Maybe he should impose a rule for Oikawa not to use the nickname under any circumstance in public. 

“Iwa-chan?” Kyoutani scoffs, looking around. “Who’s that?” 

Iwaizumi groans. “That would be me, Kyou.” 

Kyoutani cocks his head to the side, giving Iwaizumi a questioning look before turning to look at Oikawa. “Is he a problem? Should I get rid of him?” 

Iwaizumi smiles and ruffles his hair fondly. “I think I can handle it Kyou, but thanks for the offer. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

Kyoutani nods and throws Oikawa a scalding look that makes the brunette take two steps back as he glances at Iwaizumi for help. 

“I don’t recall ever pissing him off, even though I piss a lot of people off.” 

Iwaizumi nods along. “You sure do. And no, you didn’t really piss him off directly, he just thinks the nickname is really stupid. And,” Iwaizumi crosses his arms squarely, “I do too, so stop calling me that.”

“Ok I won’t in public,” Oikawa compromises, “but you will forevermore be my Iwa-chan.” 

Iwaizumi isn't sure what to be more annoyed about- the fact that the nickname is here to stay or that the _my_ part made his heart stutter just the tiniest bit. 

“Just shut up and let’s go back.” 

~

The days turn to weeks, and weeks turn to a month. One month of Oikawa living in Iwaizumi’s hut, and he’s proud of himself for not murdering the brunette, though plenty of opportunities were presented to him several times. 

They’re by the lake, fresh from taking a bath. Iwaizumi is filling his water pouches when Oikawa suddenly says it, out of the blue. 

“I think I need to go.” 

Iwaizumi starts so bad the water pouch slips out of his grip and sinks to the bottom. Oikawa silently bends the water till the pouch is out and dries it off before handing it back to Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi swallows thickly before turning to look at him. “And why are you saying this so suddenly?” 

“Don’t you think I should’ve said this sooner?” Oikawa muses, a sad smile twisting his lips. “I've been here a month, Iwa-chan! This was and is, temporary, which means I need to leave. Especially before I become too comfortable. More comfortable than I already am.” 

The thought of Oikawa leaving isn't giving Iwaizumi any sense of joy like he thought it would. Suddenly, the thought of Oikawa leaving is absolutely _terrifying_. 

Over the last month, Iwaizumi had not only gotten used to Oikawa, he’d begin to appreciate his company as well. Oikawa was absolutely insufferable and annoying, clingy and still overly enthusiastic about everything, but he was also kind, and smart and probably the most interesting person Iwaizumi had ever had the pleasure of being around. 

The day Oikawa and Yahaba had met had been such a train wreck for Iwaizumi. The two got along like a hut on fire and by the end of the day, they were chatting like old friends, laughing and joking and even occasionally singing, though very off key. Yahaba had gone so far as to call Iwaizumi _Iwa-chan_ , but surprisingly, before Iwaizumi could voice out a protest, Oikawa had very silently mentioned to Yahaba that the only one that could use that name was Oikawa himself. 

For a few moments, Iwaizumi had been terrified. 

“So, uh, when do you wanna leave?” 

Oikawa scratches the back of his head, humming deep in his throat. “I was thinking tomorrow morning? That gives me time to say goodbye to Yahaba and mad dog and Irihata sensei. Also, I owe the grocery lady a hug and the fishermen owe me two eels for that bet they lost.” Oikawa gives Iwaizumi another smile, both genuine and fake. “Guess we’re having eel for dinner.” 

_Don’t go_. 

That’s the only thought in Iwaizumi’s head. It runs around in circles, till all he can think about are those two words and those 6 letters. He wants to say it, he wants to tell Oikawa how he really feels but he _can’t_. Oikawa made some valid points when he justified the reason for him leaving – this was a temporary arrangement after all. 

Every single cell in Iwaizumi’s body is telling him to go after this person though. That pull he’d felt with Oikawa the first time he’d laid eyes on him hadn’t faded in the least – on the contrary, it had gotten stronger, just like their bond. Iwaizumi thinks of Oikawa as a friend, and a pretty close one at that. 

Iwaizumi stands up and grunts before walking in the general direction of the hut. The walk back is quiet for once, something neither of them is used to anymore, and it sucks. _Everything_ , in that very moment, sucks. 

“Have a good day at work, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa bids him farewell before wondering into the village. Over the course of the last month, Oikawa had befriended pretty much everyone in the village, including Kyoutani, though he’d never admit it out loud. Oikawa had also managed to trek across some of the mountains and look around the forests, identifying rare birds and animals and a few species of herbs too. His vast reserve of knowledge never ceased to amaze Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi bids him goodbye hardheartedly before heading in to the building, his head far away from class. Since that morning, all he could think about was the brunette. Will he be able to reach the south pole safely? What if he passes out again? What if he gets kidnapped and hurt? What if he gets lost? 

Iwaizumi sighs for what seems like the hundredth time when Yahaba bounds in, a cheery smile on his face. “Hey Iwaizumi-san, how are you?” 

“I’m-“ 

“Kyoutani asked me out!” Yahaba bursts, his smile splitting his face. Everyone, and by that Iwaizumi meant literally _everyone_ including the kids knew Yahaba had a crush on mad dog, all except mad dog himself of course. Yahaba had tried for weeks on end to go out on a date with him and actually confess, but Kyoutani was so slow on the uptake it nearly brought Yahaba to tears. He eventually gave up, hoping Kyoutani would maybe someday realize it himself and even better, feel the same way.

Turns out, he does. 

“We’re going out on a date tonight! Can you believe it? After all this time, Iwaizumi-san. I must thank you as well, for making sure I didn’t give up completely.” 

Iwaizumi smiles softly, grabbing Yahaba’s shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. “Congratulations buddy.”

Yahaba immediately shuts up and scrutinizes Iwaizumi closely, eyes narrowed in concentration. 

“Something happened with Oikawa.” 

“Wha- how could you _possibly_ know that?”

Yahaba shrugs. “I just do. Is it a stupid fight like last time? Cause I swear, that was so-“

“He’s leaving.” 

The silence in the room is suffocating. Yahaba doesn’t seem overly shocked but Iwaizumi knows he’s having a hard time digesting the info. Oikawa had become a part of all their lives, whether they wanted him to or not. 

“Did you do something?” 

Iwaizumi shakes his head, huffing out a strangled laugh. “It was temporary after all, so it’s only natural he’s gonna leave right? God, I should’ve seen this coming. I mean, I did! But I still, I still..”

“You still let your guard down and let him in?” 

Iwaizumi nods miserably. 

“You know,” Yahaba starts, taking a seat beside Iwaizumi, “I’ve known you for over two years now Iwaizumi-san, and let me just say, I’ve never seen you as happy and as carefree as you’ve been this last month. It’s been so great to see that.” 

Iwaizumi glares at the framed portrait hanging on the wall in front of him. “What’s your point?” 

“My point is, you should go with him.” 

Iwaizumi twists his head so fast, he almost gets whiplash. Not once, in all the thinking that he’s been doing, had he considered the possibility of leaving _with_ Oikawa. Every scenario involved him asking the man to stay, but what if he traveled with him? What if he made sure Oikawa wouldn’t pass out again or get lost or kidnapped and actually make it to the south pole? 

“But I cant just up and leave!” Iwaizumi counters miserably. “I have an entire life here! I’m a teacher, it wouldn’t be fair or right to the kids.” 

“Yahaba’s right, you know.” Irihata sensei’s voice chuckles by the door. “You may be a teacher, and a pretty good one too, but you’re young, and if that waterheaded idiot makes you happy, you should be with him.” 

“Sensei!” The both of them stand up and bow deep. Irihata chuckles again and asks them to sit down. “I traveled the entire world when I was young with my best friend and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.” He looks Iwaizumi right in the eye. “ _Go_. You have my blessing, you have all our blessings. You’ve been here long enough. It’s time for the next phase of your life.” 

Tears, sudden but not wholly unwelcome, brim at the corners of Iwaizumi’s eyes and he jumps up, shouting out a _Thank you for everything_ before sprinting out the door and the academy. He makes a beeline for the grocery store where he knows Oikawa will be and feels a sense of giddiness when the man comes into view. 

“Oikawa!” 

The brunette turns around immediately, a bunch of turnips in his hand. His face breaks out into a huge smile. “Iwa-chan! Don’t you have class for another hour?” 

“Let me come with you!” 

Oikawa looks at him strangely, as if unable to understand the context. So Iwaizumi clarifies it for him. 

“Let me accompany you to the south pole or wherever the hell it is you’re going.” 

Oikawa’s grip on the turnips goes completely slack and they begin to fall unceremoniously, but Iwaizumi crafts a basket out of the ground just in time to catch them. He’s looking down at the vegetables that owe him their lives which is why he fails to notice Oikawa throwing himself at Iwaizumi, pulling him into a bear hug.

“Oh Iwa-chan, yes _absolutely!_ How could I ever say no!” 

Normally, Iwaizumi would push him away and scold him for using that stupid pet name, or for touching him at all. But this is not _normally_. This is special enough for Iwaizumi to laugh and wrap his arms around Oikawa as well, holding him close. His heart feels lighter than it has all day, and the excitement that comes with travel begins to course through his blood, making him feel all giddy again.

“Let’s go home and start packing!” 

The walk back home is filled with excited chatter and laughter as they plan all the places they want to visit- whale island, flamingo park, crescent bay, ember island. It’s a long list, and luckily, they have all the time in the world. 

“You know, I think it’s gonna be easier to travel, now that we’re going together.” 

Oikawa turns to look at him while folding his third shirt. “And why’s that?” 

Iwaizumi grins at him broadly. “Because of our bending of course! Water and Earth bending is going to come so in handy!” 

Iwaizumi watches as the word bending causes a change so drastic in Oikawa’s face it makes the blood in his veins go cold. The rosy tint of Oikawa’s cheeks fade until he’s just pale, and his eyes turn something akin to lifeless, not a single twinkle in there. It’s as if a black hole sucked out every ounce of life from his body. 

“Hajime, you cant come with me.” 

It sounds strange to Iwaizumi’s ears, to hear Oikawa use his given name. They’d never done that before, and Oikawa hadn’t really called him anything but Iwa-chan. But the seriousness that came with using his given name freaked Iwaizumi a lot more than he’d care to admit. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Oikawa breathes in shakily, his palm clenching and forming a weak fist. “You can’t come. It’s, it’s too dangerous.” 

Iwaizumi takes a step closer but stops when Oikawa takes three steps back. “Oikawa, you aren’t making any sense.” 

“Hajime, there’s something about me I haven’t told you. And I didn’t tell you because I wanted to keep you safe.” Oikawa laughs listlessly. “I cant believe for a second there, I actually forgot! Goddamit, I’m an absolute _idiot_!” 

“Tooru!” Iwaizumi growls, eyes blazing, “calm down and explain everything. _Right now_.” 

Oikawa looks like he’s about to cry and Iwaizumi’s so tempted to drop his gaze and comfort the man, but he stays strong. He knows whatever it is Oikawa’s freaking out about, it’s important. The brunette's heartbeat says so. 

Oikawa doesn’t use any words, he simply lifts both of his hands till they're level with his chest. Inhaling slowly, as if to calm himself, Oikawa turns his palms, positioning them to face the sky. Curling the fingers of his left hand slowly, he bends a little water in the corner of the room to move till its floating in the space above his palm in the shape of a perfect ball.  


Iwaizumi’s confused, and Oikawa sees that. He sighs softly before pumping his right hand once. 

Iwaizumi’s eyes widen as his brain tries to comprehend what it’s seeing, though every part of him knows it’s absolutely, completely, thoroughly _impossible_.  


In Oikawa’s right hand is a small, perfectly round ball of fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i havent written in what seems like forever
> 
> can you tell im nervous as hell? _sweats_


	2. Overload.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His dreams are usually vague shapes and colours, flashbacks from a childhood he refuses to acknowledge, odd little details that don’t really mean anything by themselves. But tonight, Oikawa makes an appearance in his dreams. 
> 
> He’s dressed the day he was the first time Iwaizumi laid eyes on him- the coat, the boots, the satchel. He looks happy, a bright, carefree grin on his face. Iwaizumi expects the words Iwa-chan from his mouth any moment, he’s anticipating it. 
> 
> But then Oikawa’s coat is on fire. Everything is on fire - his clothes, his body, him - and Iwaizumi doesn’t know what to do, he cant even move. He’s glued to his spot, his body no longer in his control. Oikawa isn't screaming or asking for help, he isn't saying a word. There’s just a single tear streaming down his face, and his lips part as he utters a single word. 
> 
> _Goodbye._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know if all my updates are gonna be this quick but i really am very excited about this fic! 
> 
> without further ado, enjoy! :3

Iwaizumi, like most kids, had heard the story of how the Avatar came to be when he was just a child. It was told in the form of a fairy-tale, a legend about a young man that took the power of fire from the lion turtle, a gigantic creature that hosted an entire city on its back, and kept it for himself. He used it for good, but then he messes up, big time, and to make up for it, he begs the remaining lion turtles to grant him power over the different elements, which they do. Generation after generation, the spirit of good passes down from Avatar to Avatar, as they create a cycle between the air, water, earth and fire tribes. And the Avatar is tasked with maintaining peace and balance, between the tribes and the material and spirit worlds. 

Iwaizumi didn’t really like the idea of the Avatar. A person capable of yielding that much power could only be a pompous prick in his opinion. But all that changed when he actually did end up meeting the Avatar. She wasn’t rude, or disrespectful, or even the least bit arrogant. She was strong, calm, _grounding_. A force to reckon with. 

And she mostly certainly wasn’t _Oikawa._

The very thought of Oikawa makes Iwaizumi _flinch_ and he glances up, finding Oikawa in the same spot he’s been rooted to since they both just sat down unceremoniously. They’re facing each other, a good distance between them, in complete and utter silence. It’s absolutely daunting, and neither of them seems to be able to look at the other for any extended amount of time. 

That same story plays itself on repeat in Iwaizumi’s head, over and over, like a broken recorder. The Avatar is reborn time and again, the knowledge of the previous generations passing down to the next. And the new Avatar is only born once the old one dies. But she’s alive, Iwaizumi knows that for certain. He received a scroll from her only a few weeks ago.

Iwaizumi clears his throat and sits up straight, facing Oikawa head on. Oikawa looks positively miserable, eyes downcast, lips slightly trembling, fists clenched in his lap. 

“Tell me this,” Iwaizumi breaks the silence, his voice cracking just the slightest bit. “Why did you lie when we first met? About going to meet your maternal grandparents in the south?” 

Oikawa doesn’t even look up for a couple of seconds, but then Iwaizumi’s words sink in and his eyes meet Iwaizumi’s, a now-familiar curiosity in them. 

“How did you know?” 

“Huh?” 

Oikawa shakes his head, his fingers cupping his chin, “You barely knew me back then, so how did you know I was lying? People that have known me for years can’t tell, so how?” 

Iwaizumi relaxes for what seems like the first time that evening, his shoulders dropping from their tensed position. Slowly uncurling his legs, he pulls off his footwear and lets his bare feet touch the ground. 

“My teacher was a student of a metal bender that used to see with her feet, so she taught me the art, even though my eyesight is fine.” 

Oikawa cocks his head. “See… with feet?” 

“More like see by _feeling_. I can feel the vibrations in the earth, I can locate objects and tunnels, or sense different materials. Hell, I once heard the sound of someone’s blood _flow_. But I’m not actually great at it.” 

Oikawa stares at him, shock painted all over his face. Iwaizumi doesn’t blame him because truth be told, this little trick of his had won him many a battle. 

“When you told me about the south pole, your heartbeat stuttered. That only happens to people when they lie.” 

Oikawa nods, all his attention focused on Iwaizumi. A part of Iwaizumi feels betrayed, that even after a month of them practically living together, Oikawa had just conveniently left out the part about him being able to bend _two_ freaking elements. 

“How?” Iwaizumi somewhat mirrors his thoughts in one single word, a soft question. 

Oikawa inhales softly, the sound so gentle it gets lost in the wind. He’s suddenly no longer in that room but thousands of miles away, right in the North presumably. 

“I, I don’t know who my mom is,” Oikawa starts, hesitant but willing. Iwaizumi folds his legs and keeps his posture steady but open. He’s willing to listen, he owes Oikawa that much. 

“I never have known. My dad was from the water tribe, so it’s been my home for as long as I can remember. But dad, he wasn’t healthy, and there wasn’t anything we could do. He died when I was 8.” 

Iwaizumi feels his heart twist. The story hits close to home, far too close for comfort. 

“I was the village orphan. The adults looked at me and saw a burden, the kids saw an outsider. Even though I was a bender, they thought I was a freak. I hated it, god I _hated_ home.” Oikawa laughs humorlessly and wipes at his eyes furiously before continuing. “The only time I felt safe was during bending classes. My teacher was kind, and he knew my dad, so he always looked out for me. He was a great man. 

I discovered my, my _other_ bending abilities for the first time when I was 13. It’s funny, I think I’ve always known I could bend more than just water.” 

Oikawa keeps his gaze fixed on a point behind Iwaizumi but Iwaizumi stares at him till he catches his gaze, gently urging him to continue. They both know he’s listening with rapt attention. 

“I don’t know, deep down I always felt at peace around the water. It soothed me. But something burned bright right beside it, though it didn’t feel like they were against each other. In fact it felt like they were friends somehow. I just didn’t know how to expose one to the outside world, the way I exposed the other.”

Oikawa twists his fingers, his nervousness palpable. 

“I was at home, and my last functional vase shattered. I was furious beyond belief, and I just. I wanted to throw some water at it, bend some water somehow, but instead, a small stream of fire spluttered out of my palm. It was so small, so very tiny, but it was enough.

No one saw, but suddenly, I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder. I didn’t know about the Avatar back then, who she was or where she hailed from, so I considered the possibility, but I can’t, for the life of me, bend Earth or Air.”

Iwaizumi just listens, without interrupting and without rushing him. It’s a lot to take in, for anyone he assumes, but so far, Oikawa’s telling the truth. His heartbeat, that calm staccato that’s like a metronome, beats steady in his ribcage. _Strong_. 

Just like him. 

“I, I am not the Avatar.” Oikawa’s voice trembles, his hands clenched so tight his knuckles turn white. 

Iwaizumi nods. “I know. I’ve met the Avatar personally, she’s actually a friend of mine.” 

Oikawa seems relieved somehow, that Iwaizumi doesn’t question or doubt this. 

“About two months ago, I was practicing my water bending by the ocean, when this group of Earth-bending soldiers arrive on shore. They were fully armed, dressed like they were ready for battle.” 

Iwaizumi’s brows furrow. “That doesn’t sound right. The Earth and Water kingdoms have been at peace for centuries.” 

“I know,” Oikawa nods, “and there weren’t many of them. Maybe like ten. But their aura, it was powerful. Like they were exceptionally strong. I didn’t need to fight them to know that.” 

Iwaizumi understands what he means. Some people are special, they just _are_. 

“This red head, and I mean his hair was _ridiculously_ red, comes up to me, and just asks – Are there any firebenders in this tribe?” 

Iwaizumi’s eyes widen, and Oikawa bites his lip before continuing. 

“I could’ve sworn my blood turned to ice the moment the word _firebender_ passed his lips. No firebender in their right mind stays in the North pole, it’s simply too difficult to bend that element at those temperatures.” 

Oikawa exhales shakily. “So obviously I’m freaked out real bad, but like I said, I’m a pretty good liar. So I say no, that since I’ve never even left the North Pole, I haven’t actually met one. Which isn’t a complete lie. Another member of the group calls to the redhead – Satori was his name, I think – and they just leave, heading for the town.” 

Oikawa finally gets up, turning his back to Iwaizumi. “Somebody must’ve seen me, and told someone else, and now they want me, whoever _they_ are. I’ve searched everywhere in the libraries for cases similar to mine, and nothing, absolutely _nothing_ has showed up. No cases at all. There have been situations where a person starts bending much later in their lives, but it’s not the same obviously.” 

Iwaizumi exhales loudly, his mind reeling. It’s too much in too little time. 

“I ran. I packed a bag that night, said goodbye to my small, empty home, and ran away. I had no ties to that place, no person I cared about except my teacher. I walked to the training ground and left him a short note saying I wanted to explore the world and that hopefully, someday, I could meet him again. Hopefully.” 

Oikawa turns around slowly, his eyes trained on Iwaizumi but not really _seeing_ him. 

“I walked, hitched rides, kept a move on till finally, I passed out by the river and the rest, well, you know.”

He doesn’t lie, not once. His heartbeat is a little faster than normal, but it’s just a sign of the fear he’s feeling, just by thinking about the past. Iwaizumi feels an odd urge to protect the man, even though he’s not remotely obligated to. 

Oikawa suddenly shuts down, and it’s almost _frightening_. His heartbeat regains its normal pace, his face is clear of any signs of fear, everything about him becomes emotionless. His eyes, normally wide and bright, are devoid of any emotion, but they’re still fierce. 

“I understand you owe me nothing, but I’d appreciate it if no one found out about this.” 

Iwaizumi can’t deal with this anymore; can’t deal with the over load of information, the way Oikawa is forcing himself to block Iwaizumi out completely, the way he’s looking at him, begging him to do something, _anything_. 

He gets up, walks right past Oikawa, and out the door.

~

That night, Iwaizumi has the strangest dreams. 

Right before falling asleep, he catches a glimpse of Oikawa’s body beneath his sheets, his back facing Iwaizumi. Over the span of the last month, Oikawa had gotten used to the hard bed, and he slept so well he’d even snore sometimes. For all his beauty, Oikawa was an ugly sleeper and Iwaizumi found it maybe just a tad bit endearing. 

His dreams are usually vague shapes and colours, flashbacks from a childhood he refuses to acknowledge, odd little details that don’t really mean anything by themselves. But tonight, Oikawa makes an appearance in his dreams. 

He’s dressed the day he was the first time Iwaizumi laid eyes on him- the coat, the boots, the satchel. He looks happy, a bright, carefree grin on his face. Iwaizumi expects the words Iwa-chan from his mouth any moment, he’s anticipating it. 

But then Oikawa’s coat is on fire. Everything is on fire - his clothes, his body, _him_ \- and Iwaizumi doesn’t know what to do, he cant even move. He’s glued to his spot, his body no longer in his control. Oikawa isn't screaming or asking for help, he isn't saying a word. There’s just a single tear streaming down his face, and his lips part as he utters a single word. 

_Goodbye._

Iwaizumi wakes up with a start, immediately moving to a seated position, a thin layer of sweat coating his entire body. He shivers when a gentle breeze enters through the open window and kisses his skin, light as a feather. Pulling on the shirt beside his bed, Iwaizumi turns to stare at Oikawa’s bed – 

Only to find it empty. 

Iwaizumi instantly shoots up to his feet and storms over to the bed, his mouth dry. The sheets are folded neatly, the pillow kept right in it’s place, with a note placed on it. 

Iwaizumi opens the note with trembling hands and a few gold coins fall all over the bed. Baffled, Iwaizumi looks up and glances at the note, catching sight of some writing in Oikawa’s neat scrawl. 

_I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, but I had to leave, I’m sure you can understand. Here’s a little money I earned around town. I know it’s not nearly enough to pay you back for all your kindness, but I hope it’s a start._

_Goodbye._

Iwaizumi doesn’t even take a moment to think, to rationalize or plan his next move. He doesn’t stop to consider that Oikawa could’ve left hours ago, and that he’d never find him. He doesn’t even consider wearing shoes. Iwaizumi simply runs out of the house, note in hand, a mission in mind. 

Looking closely at the ground, Iwaizumi spots Oikawa’s tracks and begins trailing them, his pace a quick jog. The trail continues for about a mile before there’s a puddle and suddenly, the footprints are gone. Iwaizumi finds himself in an open field, large and wide and dark. There’s no hint of Oikawa’s direction. 

Inhaling slowly, Iwaizumi brings his hands together before lifting his right leg and slamming it against the floor, instantly feeling the vibrations course through the entirety of his body. It’s always been a strange but welcome sensation, and Iwaizumi lets his eyes slide shut as he focuses, allowing the vibrations to tell him where that infuriating brunette is. 

He locates him in a matter of 4 seconds. 

Breaking into a run, Iwaizumi picks up the pace as he nears Oikawa’s location, feeling a sense of both relief and annoyance. As his body moves on autopilot, his mind wanders. 

How _dare_ he?

How dare Oikawa up and leave like that with just a measly note and some money left behind? How dare he, after they spent all that time together, after Oikawa told him everything? 

Iwaizumi’s steps falter when he comes upon a tiny forest and he begins navigating through the trees, every step telling him which direction to head in. He touches the trees and feels the life within them, and it gives him strength, and some strange sense of hope. That somehow, everything was going to be ok. 

He finds Oikawa besides a bamboo shoot plant, seated at its roots, looking thoroughly exhausted. He looks like he’s about to cry, and Iwaizumi can’t stand it anymore. 

“That’s it?” 

Iwaizumi enjoys the way Oikawa jumps three feet in the air and squeals for a good 6 seconds before he continues.

“That’s freaking _it_ , shittykawa? After everything, _everything_ you told me, you just gonna up and leave?” 

“I-“

“I don’t need _your_ protection,” Iwaizumi hisses, closing the distance between them with ease, till he’s standing right in front of Oikawa. “I don’t need you to keep me safe, distance your stupid self from me, just disappear like this. That’s not what I need.” 

Oikawa is speechless, his eyes wide and his posture a little defensive. 

“I just.” Iwaizumi visibly deflates, his shoulders dropping. “You should’ve just given me some time.” 

Oikawa swallows thickly. “For what?” 

“To process everything! I mean, you dumped a fuckton of info on me with no notice whatsoever, it was just a lot to take in! That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to accompany you.” 

Oikawa looks confused for a moment before it clicks in his head and he openly gawks at Iwaizumi. “You mean-?” 

“I’m still coming, you moron. That wasn’t going to change.” 

Oikawa looks like he’s on the verge of tears. “But why? Why risk everything to travel with a possible fugitive?” 

Iwaizumi shrugs before plopping down, facing Oikawa. “I honestly don’t know, but I never ignore my instincts, and they’re telling me to go wherever your sorry ass leads me.”

Oikawa sniffles and gives him a watery smile. “Iwa-chan, you love me.” 

Iwaizumi quirks a brow, “Whatever lets you sleep at night, shittykawa.” 

Oikawa laughs, the sound weak but genuine, and the ice around Iwaizumi’s heart begins to thaw. He feels like he can finally _breathe_ again. 

“So _that’s_ my nickname? After I came up with such a loving one for you?” 

“Really suits your personality, doesn’t it?”

Oikawa sticks his tongue out and rubs his eyes, his smile still in place. 

“Let’s go,” Iwaizumi grunts as he gets up. “We still need to pack my stuff, and some food and basic supplies to get us started.” 

Iwaizumi extends his hand in Oikawa’s direction, a silent request hidden in the gesture.

_Trust me._

Oikawa takes his hand without batting an eyelid. 

~

“So you don’t know _any_ firebending at all?” 

Oikawa shakes his head while packing a few loaves of bread in the bag. “I never practiced it, at all. I’ve read up about it, and it’s actually kinda scary. Fire bending requires a lot of control, over your emotions and your heart. Because fire, if not controlled, destroys everything.” 

Oikawa’s voice sounds gravely, and while Iwaizumi can’t really empathize, he can somewhat understand. The element of fire is volatile, beautiful and chaotic. It takes any bender years to master the art before they can call themselves professionals in any way. 

“I used to meditate a lot, back at home,” Oikawa continues. “So while I mastered the art of water bending, I applied some similar movements to my firebending whenever I tried it, and it seemed easy enough. But if you ask me to fight with fire, I wont last very long at all.” 

Iwaizumi hums, deep in thought. 

“So do you really want to go to the Southern tribe?” 

Oikawa shrugs. “It’s not a necessity by any means, I just don’t know where else to go. All I know is that I need to get as far away from home as possible.” 

Oikawa turns to look at him, cocking his head slightly. “Why do you ask?” 

“I might have a plan.” 

Oikawa gestures for him to continue. 

“You know I’m friends with the Avatar right?” Oikawa nods. “She’s currently training and residing at the Northern air temples. I was wondering, why not visit her? And ask her what she thinks about this whole situation? Maybe she could help?” 

Oikawa pursues his lips, seriously considering the idea. “Are you sure we can trust her?” 

“I would trust her with my life.” 

Oikawa smiles at the conviction in Iwaizumi’s voice. “Sounds good to me.” 

Iwaizumi grins at him. “So the Northern Air temples then?” 

Oikawa nods. “The Northern Air temples.” 

~

“Iwaizumi-san, I’m gonna miss you so much,” Yahaba wails dramatically, but Iwaizumi can see the real sadness deep in his eyes. 

He grabs Yahaba’s shoulders and pulls him in for a quick, tight hug. “I’m gonna miss you too, and I’ll never forget all that you’ve done for me.” 

Yahaba relaxes in his hold and returns the hug, his face hidden in the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck. “You don’t need to thank me, Iwaizumi-san. Thank you for coming into all our lives.” 

Iwaizumi smiles softly before releasing him. He turns to look at Kyoutani, who looks utterly and thoroughly heartbroken. 

“Kyou,” Iwaizumi says, trying to get the man to look him in the eye. “Kyou,” he tries again, till Kyoutani looks up. Iwaizumi feels his heartstrings pull a little when he sees tears brimming in those intense eyes. 

Before either of them can say anything, they grab each other’s forearms and Iwaizumi uses his free hand to pull Kyoutani close by the neck, their foreheads meeting. 

“Take care of everything when I’m gone, alright? And don’t worry, you’re gonna be an awesome teacher.” Kyoutani nods vigorously and Iwaizumi laughs. 

“Attaboy.” 

Finally, Iwaizumi turns to face his teacher. “Sensei, I-“ 

“I know,” Irihata-sensei smiles, easy and understanding. “I know.” 

Iwaizumi bows low, his hands folded in a show of respect. “Thank you.” 

Irihata-sensei bows in return. 

“Mad Dog-chan, Yaha-chan, I’m gonna miss you,” Oikawa croons, giving Yahaba a giant hug and coaxing a reluctant fist bump out of Kyoutani. He then turns to Irihata-sensei and bows low. Sensei simply chuckles and bows to him in return. 

“Send us regular updates!” Yahaba yells behind them as they turn to walk away. “And if you ever need anything, we’re right here!” 

“Thanks Yahaba,” Iwaizumi calls behind his shoulder. They receive a few more comments and goodbyes before they’re finally too far away to hear. 

“You have a lovely home.” 

Oikawa’s smile is soft, his voice wistful. Iwaizumi nods, looking down. “I do. I got very lucky.” 

“What about- what about your parents Iwa-chan?” 

Iwaizumi sighs, turning his face away. “Not now.” 

Oikawa nods, accepting the shut down gracefully. He has a dysfunctional family of his own, so Iwaizumi understands that they can both empathize for one another. 

“So, let’s go, shall we?” 

Oikawa puffs his chest out and grins, wide and bright. “Let’s go!” 

Somewhere high up in the sky, Ivy crows for the entire forest to hear. 

~

It takes a grand total of one day of traveling with Oikawa for Iwaizumi to seriously contemplate pleading guilty for murder during his trial. There’s no way both he and Oikawa can make it out of this alive, not with how bloody annoying the brunette is. 

“Iwa-chan, are we there yet? Are we? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are w-“

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” 

Oikawa laughs and dodges Iwaizumi’s hands, continuing his stream of _Are we there yets_. Iwaizumi considers muzzling him, when a strange vibration in the ground catches his attention. 

Iwaizumi’s hand reaches out instantly and grabs the collar of Oikawa’s shirt. 

“Iwa-chan, don’t murder m-“

“Shhh.” Iwaizumi places a hand on Oikawa’s mouth, shushing him. Oikawa catches on the seriousness of the situation and nods slowly. Iwaizumi removes his hand and bends down, touching the Earth. 

There are people up ahead, several in fact. And they’re fighting. 

“There are about 8 people up ahead, and I know that five of them are Earth-bender. I can also sense a firebender among them, and for some reason they’re fighting.” 

Oikawa nods, folding his arms across his chest. “Ok, so what do you suggest we do?” 

Iwaizumi thinks for a moment. “I think we should go watch. Especially if there’s a firebender or any of those Earth-benders you met in the North present in that group.” 

Oikawa gives him a thumbs up and so they take a left, straying away from the path and into the forest. They begin walking parallel to the road, keeping an eye out for people when Oikawa suddenly spots them and yanks Iwaizumi ahead.

“Calm down,” Iwaizumi hisses, swatting Oikawa away. Oikawa shushes him and turns his head towards the road. 

Iwaizumi can’t believe his eyes. 

He was right about the number of people, there are exactly eight of them, and he’s also right about the fighting, the number of earth benders and the presence of one fire bender.   
What he couldn’t have possibly sensed was that it was a seven against one battle. 

Each bender attacks this one man constantly, one after another, hitting him with move after move. One of the earth-benders raises the ground beneath the man’s feet and pushes it in the air, and another coordinates with the first, trying to use another piece of land to hit the guy. The man however, seems unfazed and maybe just a tad bit amused. He dodges the giant chunk of land coming his way and slams his hands on the earth near his feet. The next moment, a huge spray of earth bullets pelt at the men and they howl in pain, backing off immediately. 

The firebender uses the man’s distraction as a way to hit him with a jet of fire from behind, the sneaky bastard, but again, it’s as if the man knows where the firebender is going to be before the bender himself does. Without turning around, he taps his foot and sends the man flying, a clear fifteen feet off the ground. He lands somewhere in the forest opposite Iwaizumi and Oikawa. 

“Is it just me,” Oikawa whispers excitedly, “or is that guy _really_ good?” 

Iwaizumi never gives out compliments easily but he has to agree- the man has some serious talent. He seems to be dealing with all the miscreants with complete and utter ease, staying calm and not breaking a sweat. 

One of his attacks miss however, and the mood surrounding the entire fight shifts. 

The man gets on his knees and _wails_. 

“How did I miss that? Oh my god, I suck, how could I ever possibly think I was good enough, what is _wrong_ with me?”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa share confused looks and shrug.

The man, Iwaizumi begins to notice, is quite tall, competing with Oikawa’s height. He has white hair with streaks of black, and it’s completely spiked up, adding to his height. His build is strong and broad, his thighs thick and biceps almost comparable to Iwaizumi’s own. His features are gentle, but his eyes are bright, focused, _except_ for when he’s crying. 

Taking advantage of his momentary bout of weakness, one of the last two standing earth-benders moves ahead to attack him. The man simply hits the ground with his fist and traps the assailant in an earth tomb before another rock makes contact with his head, knocking him out effectively. 

The last earthbender has the brains to back away quickly and run in the direction Iwaizumi and Oikawa came from. 

_Smart move_ , Iwaizumi thinks. 

The man continues to sulk like an over grown child, but Iwaziumi can’t really see him as someone that’s dangerous. Sure, he single handedly defeated seven people, but if the paint on their faces and the weapons in their hands were anything to go by, they were bandits trying to rob the wrong guy. 

"Did you recognize any of them?" Iwaizumi asks, glancing at Oikawa from his periphery. Oikawa shakes his head and opens his mouth to answer when he's interrupted. 

“Are you two gonna try and fight me as well?” 

The man doesn’t need to look at them for Oikawa and Iwaizumi to know who he’s talking to. Without hesitating, they both walk out from behind the trees and move to stand in front of the guy, their postures relaxed and defenseless. 

“We don’t want to fight you. Speaking of which, why were you fighting with _them_?” Oikawa points at the man in the tomb. 

The white haired man shrugs, “They were trying to knock me out and rob me I guess.” So Iwaizumi was right. 

“They’re so stupid though, I have literally nothing valuable on me.” 

Iwaizumi and Oikawa nod in understanding. Apart from some cash, they have nothing of value either. 

“So what’s your name?” 

The man looks up and flashes them a big smile, throwing them both off. “Bokuto Koutarou. What about you guys?” 

“I’m Oikawa, and he’s Iwaizumi.”

Bokuto’s brows furrow. “Iwaizumi?” He then jumps to his feet and screeches. “Iwaizumi? As in Iwaizumi _Hajime_?” 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi take a step back, Iwaizumi’s face a bit guarded and plenty surprised. “Yes? How did you know that?” 

Bokuto laughs. “Dude, are you serious? You’re like so freaking famous. I mean, you’re _badass_ dude, I cant believe –“

“Yeah ok, _stop._ ” Iwaizumi feels the heat in his cheeks and he wants to choke Oikawa when he hears him giggle into his palm. 

Bokuto shrugs while dusting his pants off. 

“So, where are you headed, Bokuto?” 

“Me? I’m on my way to find the Avatar!” 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi freeze at the mention of the Avatar, as if on reflex. They know logically they have nothing to worry about, but it doesn’t stop or pacify them. 

“Oh, um, why?” 

Bokuto cocks his head. “Why? To fight her, of course! I want to see who’s stronger at Earth-bending! Though, after I messed up so badly here,” Bokuto bows his head, looking thoroughly dejected again, “I doubt I’m even good enough to ask her for a fight. I’ll probably waste my time.”

Oikawa smacks the man on the arm, forcing him to look up. “Are you kidding me? You were awesome! So what if you missed one shot? You got back at that twice as hard, and even though the odds were so against you, you beat them without breaking a sweat. I’d say that’s pretty great, wouldn’t you Iwa-chan?” 

Iwaizumi imagines strangling Oikawa in his head, and it pacifies him, at least a little. 

He turns to face Bokuto and shrugs. “You were good out there. I assume you use vibrations as well?” 

Bokuto nods enthusiastically. 

“Well, it shows. Your movements are a little excessive, I’ll admit, you’ll save more energy if you move less, but your speed and strength are nothing to laugh at. If you ask nicely, I’m sure the Avatar would humour your request for a duel.”

Bokuto listens to his every word, his smile widening till it’s practically splitting his face. 

“Thank you, Iwaizumi! It means so much coming from _you_.” 

Iwaizumi waves him it off and sends a death glare Oikawa’s way before he can ask Bokuto to elaborate. 

“So, where you guys headed?” 

Oikawa tenses up but Iwaizumi’s expecting the question so he answers smoothly. “We’re going to the air temples.” 

Bokuto’s brows furrow. “Wait, the Avatar is an airbender right? So wouldn’t she be at the air temples too?” 

“Actually,” Oikawa starts, catching Iwaizumi’s drift. “We’re meeting her too. We have a rather, _delicate_ situation to discuss with her, and she’s a friend of Iwa-chan’s, so yeah.” 

Lying to Bokuto would be impossible, especially since his senses seemed keener than Iwaizumi’s own. Plus, both of them feel it- Bokuto is on their side. 

“Do you guys maybe wanna travel together?” Bokuto picks up his bag and sends another dazzling smile their way. “I’m terrible with directions but I think it’ll be fun! It’s the same destination anyway.” 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi share a look and nod. “Sure! Welcome to the team.” 

Bokuto hoots and throws his fist in the air, and Iwaziumi questions his life decisions. 

This is probably a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love bokuto i love bokuto i love bokuto 
> 
> this story will be focusing a lot on interactions, aside from the romances, so im looking forward to writing that! there are so many people yet to be introduced, i cant wait :3 :3 
> 
> did i mention i love bokuto?


	3. Make it rain.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa nods, slow but sure. “He’s weird-“
> 
> “Which means _nothing_ coming from you-“
> 
> “Hey!” Oikawa smacks him with a twig. “As I was saying, he’s weird _but_ ” he shushes Iwaizumi before he can interrupt him again, “so are we. I think he’ll fit right in.” 
> 
> “I’ve felt the urge to want to smack him at least thrice.” 
> 
> “See? Perfect!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some iwaoiboku bonding.
> 
> also, some cute [art](http://qitwrites.tumblr.com/post/161158269913/i-drew-this-for-elemental-i-love-it-ive-never) i received about a week ago of iwaizumi!

Iwaizumi’s pretty sure he was a _horrendous_ man in his previous life. Maybe a serial killer, or one of those people that added chilies in someone’s toothpaste just to watch the myriad of expressions play out on their faces before settling on indisputable pain. Or maybe he wasn’t nice to puppies. 

Ok, probably not _that_ evil. 

Still, it must be pretty bad, considering he’s now stuck with not just Oikawa Tooru, the wonderful, enigmatic, astronomically gigantic _pain-in-the-ass_ Tooru, but also Bokuto Koutarou, an idiot of proportions so epic, Iwaizumi can’t even begin to fathom it. 

Don’t get him wrong, Bokuto is skilled at what he does, his Earth-Bending beyond impressive, but Iwaizumi can’t understand how a man can go from battle mode to chasing a butterfly in .007s. It’s almost unsettling, as if he’s dealing with three people rather than two. 

“Ok, so I was fighting this really cool water-bender once and he did this thing where he’d bend some water into a random shape and then _swoosh_ it was a samurai sword that could cut through a tree! He was insane!” 

Bokuto’s eyes are practically glowing, and Oikawa’s face is a mix between amused and disbelieving. 

“And then, and then-“

But there’s also something about Bokuto, something strong and solid and reassuring. It’s in the line of his back, in the skip of his step, in the unhindered innocence of his smile. Iwaizumi wants to regret taking him up on his offer to travel together but he knows he’d be lying through his teeth if he said he weren’t feeling slightly safer with Bokuto by their side. 

Oikawa turns around and flashes Iwaizumi a crooked smile. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and gestures for him to get a move on, which Oikawa does with a huff. Their pace is slow, way slower than Iwaizumi had anticipated, but by his calculations, it’ll probably take them another week and a half to get to the temples. 

“Guys,” he calls out, getting their attention. “Let’s set up camp here.” 

It’s a nice, flat piece of land, with tree cover all around, in case they suddenly require it. Bokuto seems to sense the lake nearby as well and asks Oikawa for his water pouches, heading in its general direction. Oikawa and Iwaizumi head for the woods to gather some firewood. 

“So, that Bokuto huh?”

Iwaizumi’s eyes remain trained on the ground, looking for branches and twigs. “Uh huh.” 

Oikawa picks up a branch and swings it around. “I like him.” 

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi picks up a branch and examines it before bending to pick up another. “So soon?” 

Oikawa nods, slow but sure. “He’s weird-“

“Which means _nothing_ coming from you-“

“Hey!” Oikawa smacks him with a twig. “As I was saying, he’s weird _but_ ” he shushes Iwaizumi before he can interrupt him again, “so are we. I think he’ll fit right in.” 

“I’ve felt the urge to want to smack him at least thrice.” 

“See? Perfect!” 

Iwaizumi allows himself a small smile before he gets serious. “I don’t like that we’re lying to him.”

“We’re not. We just haven’t told him _everything_ yet.”

Iwaizumi throws him a _do-I-need-to-say-it-out-loud-or-will-you_ kinda look at Oikawa huffs, indignant. 

“I know, I know, don’t look at me like that! But just, not yet ok? It took me over a month to trust you with it, I just don’t see myself trusting him with it within two days!” 

Iwaizumi sighs, exasperated but understanding. “You’re a royal pain in my ass Oikawa.” 

“Well, I’m not royalty but I might as well be, I mean have you seen my but-?” 

Iwaizumi throws him a death stare, or something he hopes passes for one. “You should’ve stopped talking ten seconds ago.”

Oikawa grins, “You know, you’re not nearly as scary as you think you are.”

“Someday, I’m gonna kill you and it won’t matter what you think, cause you’ll be dead.” 

“Ohh, scary!” 

Iwaizumi caves the Earth beneath his feet. 

~

“You still, um.” Bokuto points at Oikawa’s hair. “You still got some leaves there.” 

Oikawa sifts his fingers through his hair and Iwaizumi laughs, loud and uninhibited. 

“Oh, shut up,” Oikawa scowls, throwing him a venomous look. Iwaizumi is not undeterred. 

“So, Bokuto,” Oikawa redirects his attention to the latest member of their nut house, “tell us a little about you. Where you from?”

Bokuto sits up straighter, the line of his shoulders a little tight. _Does attention make him nervous?_ Iwaizumi wonders. 

“I, well, I hail from the Southern parts of the Earth Kingdom. I’m an only child and my father is on the royal council.” 

Iwaizumi raises his eyebrows, clearly impressed. “Royal council? Only eight people, apart from the king himself, are a part of it.”

Bokuto smiles, a half smile that’s just as genuine as it is sad. “Yeah, dad’s bloody brilliant. But that meant being busy all the time, you know? I barely ever saw him. My mom raised me pretty much all on her own.” 

Bokuto’s face lights up suddenly, his watery smile stretching into a full blown grin. “Mom’s the best! She’s strong and beautiful, and she taught me all my bending. She’s actually dumb, like she can’t speak, but she didn’t need any words to tell me just how much she loved me.” 

Iwaizumi pretends to not notice Oikawa discreetly wiping his eyes. His eyes are tingling too, maybe just the slightest bit. 

“So yeah, that’s it about me I guess.” 

“And why the urge to duel the Avatar?” 

Bokuto shrugs. “Why not? I’ve heard tales about her strength, so I’m assuming she’ll be a pretty badass opponent. Besides, I kinda wanna travel and see the world. I keep hearing stories but I’ve never even left the Earth Kingdom. I want to explore and just _live_ , you know?” 

Oikawa nods because he _does_ know. From the few conversations they’ve had regarding Oikawa’s past, he’s always mentioned to Iwaziumi about how he’s wanted to explore and see everything, the things he’s read about and the things he’s never even heard of. 

“I told mom before leaving, she helped pack this bag.” Bokuto pats his large backpack, overflowing with things. “And I left dad a note. He’d understand I think. He was never around, but whatever time I did spend with him, he always smiled and told me to trust myself. And, and I think I did the right thing.”

Iwaizumi nods, a soft smile lifting the corners of his mouth. They may all be the same age, but they’re all so different and unique. Bokuto’s youthfulness was refreshing, just like Oikawa’s wit was equal parts charming and annoying, just like Iwaizumi’s maturity was grounding and a bit sad. 

“So what about you guys?” 

Iwaizumi chokes on his tea a little, gesturing for Oikawa to begin. Oikawa pursues his lips before exhaling slowly. 

“I’m from the Northern water tribe. I’m an orphan actually, so home was a bad place and my childhood was bleak, but this past month with Iwa-chan…” Oikawa’s voice fades before he clears his throat. “Let’s just say it’s made me not give up on life completely.”

Iwaizumi hides his blush under his palm, cursing Oikawa and his earnest comments. Why can’t he be a flirty moron that Iwaizumi has a much easier time dealing with all the time? 

“I’m from the middle region, though I settled up East. Don’t know my parents either, but I didn’t really lack a family, at least not these past two years. And I never knew how strong my homicidal tendencies were till I met this gem of a man.” 

Oikawa bows, the smuggest smile on his stupid face. 

Bokuto looks between the two of them, clearly amused.

“It’s almost like you practice your conversations.” 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and Oikawa cackles, which results in Iwaizumi threatening to burn his hair which subsequently results in a lot of screeches and _Iwa-chan, don’t you dare_ ’s. 

Bokuto leans back and smiles. 

He hasn’t been around this much happiness in a while. 

~

“Rise and shine folks!” 

Oikawa’s never been a morning person. He remembers this one time someone tried to wake him up early on a rest day and he’d simply turned around and grumbled something about having cancelled the morning. 

He’s only now come to realize what an absolute pain it is to travel with two morning people that make it their life’s mission to wake everyone up at the actual ass crack of dawn. 

Oikawa wants to cry.

“The sun isn’t even out yet!” he howls from beneath his sleeping bag, pushing is head below the front flap. Bokuto laughs, loud and annoying, and Oikawa somewhat understands what Iwaizumi means by homicidal tendencies. 

“What’s the matter Oikawa?” Iwaizumi’s clearly amused voice questions. “Having trouble waking up?”

Oikawa huffs and burrows his head even lower. “I’m having trouble sleeping, thank you very much!” 

He doesn’t hear anything save for the sound of really soft footsteps till suddenly, he’s in the air, sleeping bag and all. 

“OH MY G-“ 

Iwaizumi and Bokuto tilt the bag till Oikawa slips out but before he can land on his head, Iwaizumi catches him, twisting him so he falls flat on his butt instead. Bokuto looks accomplished, Iwaizumi is laughing and Oikawa is _not_ amused. 

“Why are you guys so insistent on waking up so freaking early? We even slept so _late_.” Oikawa begins a slow crawl towards his bag and Iwaizumi pulls it out of reach. 

“It was Bokuto’s idea actually.” 

Oikawa throws the white haired man a seething look, which doesn’t seem to effect him on bit. 

“Listen, we’re actually really close to the hibiscus villages! And they always celebrate their festival around this time of year, so I thought it would be fun to drop by and look around!” 

Oikawa is considerably more awake now, his eyes shining with curiosity. “Whoa, are you serious? I’ve heard so much about this festival! They make an entire sculpture using nothing but hibiscuses, and they sell all sorts of scented things, it’s supposed to be beautiful.” 

Bokuto shows him some finger guns. “Exactly! So, you game?” 

“Of course! Sounds fun.” Oikawa turns to face Iwaizumi. “You in, Iwa-chan?” 

Iwaizumi shrugs. “Got nothing better to do anyway.” 

They begin packing up immediately, a lively atmosphere amongst them. Somehow, it already feels festive. 

~

Something’s not right. 

The entire town, the entire area around the town, _everything_ is bare. There’s not a soul in sight, and when Iwaizumi’s bare foot touches the ground, he can’t feel one either. 

“This can’t be right.” 

Bokuto is looking around, completely crestfallen, sifting through the huge piles of rubble on the floor. Huts look burned and plundered, the trees ravaged, the earth uprooted. The entire town is dead, the air filled with a hostility that’s forcing Iwaizumi to keep his guard up higher than usual. 

Oikawa stands his ground, eyes absorbing the scene before him. “Is this a trap of some sort?” 

Iwaizumi shakes his head, “I can’t feel a single soul anywhere nearby. Normally, they aren’t too far away.” 

“Yeah, I agree,” Bokuto weighs in, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “I can’t feel anything. What’s worse is I cant feel any animals around either. That’s just weird.” 

_Eerie is a better word_ , Oikawa thinks, and he couldn’t be more right. 

“But what.” Oikawa’s voice catches and he clears his throat before continuing. “What happened around here?” 

Iwaizumi suddenly calls for them. “I think I found something.” 

It’s a gigantic rock, smooth and thin, a dark grey colour. There’s some sort of writing on it that Oikawa can’t read but Iwaizumi and Bokuto’s eyes rove over it easily. 

“Guys? Translate?” 

Iwaizumi turns to look at him before realizing. “Oh right, sorry. Uh, it basically says a bunch of really angry spirits raided this village a long time ago and chased the people out, forever. No one’s lived here in over 15 years.” 

Oikawa’s eyes find the floor and he fixes his gaze there. “Oh.” 

It isn’t disappointment over the festival but the atmosphere of the village that’s getting to him, getting to all of them in fact. Iwaizumi can’t seem to stop fighting the urge to get up and leave, Bokuto’s on high alert and completely on edge and Oikawa wants to punch something and scream. 

_Pain._ There’s so much of it in the air, saturating it with its vile taste. It’s heavy and disgusting, leaving an icky sensation on the surface of their skin. 

“Ok let’s just leave.” 

Iwaizumi turns around, ready to make his way back to the path but stops when he notices no one’s following him. He turns around, only to see Bokuto staring at Oikawa’s face intently. 

Oikawa suddenly turns around, his eyes trained on Iwaizumi. “Let’s do something nice here.” 

Iwaizumi crosses his arms. “Like what?” 

“I saw some hibiscus plants on the way here, let’s plant them everywhere.” 

Iwaizumi wants to say no. He wants to explain to Oikawa how small the chances of the plants surviving are, how difficult it will be to find good soil. He wants to do many things but he can’t ignore it either, the staleness of the air. He can deduce it’s been around for too long, and now it needs to go. 

He looks over his shoulder to Bokuto, who simply flashes him a huge grin and two thumbs up. 

“Let’s do this.”

~

They start by turning over the soil, Bokuto and Iwaizumi trying their best to find fertile soil. 

It isn’t easy, but they’re steadily making process. The lower layers of the soil turn out to be rich in nourishment, so Bokuto and Iwaizumi work as a team, lifting up huge chunks of land and upturning it, till the uppermost surface layer is just right for the plants. In the meantime, Oikawa digs up as many hibiscus plants as he can and brings them to the entrance of the village, before wandering into the forest for more. Iwaizumi makes sure to keep his feet bare, so he can sense Oikawa’s movements in case he gets lost. 

Once he’s found enough, Oikawa tells them that he’s going to get water from the lake, and Iwaizumi decides to join him. 

“There’s a small piece of land left.” Bokuto points at a spot next to a torn down hut. “I’ll finish that up, you guys get that water.” 

Iwaizumi nods and lets Oikawa lead the way. 

The walk is mostly silent, the sound of their feet crushing the dried leaves louder than usual. Iwaizumi is curious more than anything, as to why Oikawa feels so strongly about this. He too felt the pull in his heart to make a change, but with the slightly dangerous situation they’re in, he could’ve ignored it. The look in Oikawa’s eyes however had stopped him in his tracks. Never had he seen eyes blaze with that much fiery determination. 

“I can hear you think, you know.” 

Iwaizumi sticks his tongue out when Oikawa isn’t looking and grunts. “And pray tell, what am I thinking?” 

Oikawa inhales softly, looking up at the clear blue skies. “About why I care so much.” 

Iwaizumi doesn’t reply, which is a response of its own. 

“I don’t know, but a really big part of me hopes that someday this land will be livable again. People will come here and fill it with happiness and make it a _home_. It’s upsetting to see it this way.” 

Iwaizumi may not have known Oikawa all their lives, but he knows him well enough to read between the lines. 

_This place hasn’t been anyone’s home for a long time but there’s still some hope, unlike my place in the North._

Iwaizumi wishes he could go to the North and just punch the lights out of some of those people. 

“Also, I really want to see those hibiscus flowers bloom someday!” 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and opens his mouth, an insult just about ready to roll off his tongue when he catches sight of Oikawa’s expression and his mouth just snaps shut. 

There’s a slight blush tinging his cheeks, and a sparkle in his eye that hasn’t been there this entire time. It’s almost as if he can see the hibiscuses in bloom already, and Iwaizumi can’t help but smile at Oikawa’s love for the smaller things in life. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’ll be great.” 

~

The sight that greets them when Oikawa and Iwaizumi make it back to the town, pouches filled to the brim with water while Oikawa bends a huge quantity behind him is _baffling_ , to say the least. 

“Um, what’s going on?” 

Bokuto looks up and grins, his white teeth nearly blinding Iwaizumi. “Oh there you are! Took you guys long enough.” 

Iwaizumi quirks his brows. “Ok, but what _is_ going on?”

Bokuto looks down and around him, failing to see the issue. 

Except, he’s surrounded by animals, _lots_ of them. Rabbits and some dogs, a few cats; even a few birds are perched on his shoulders. And not just that, there are some spirit animals around him as well. While the spirit and material world were free to interact with one another, the spirits mostly kept to their own world, preferring its silence and compliancy to the loud, boisterousness of the human world. 

Oikawa sighs, his shoulders drooping slightly. “Does this happen to you often?”

Bokuto cocks his head. “Does what happen?” 

“You being surrounded by animals?” 

Iwaizumi uses the time to make a huge pot from some concrete nearby, allowing Oikawa to bend the water into it. Bokuto on the other hand, is nodding happily. 

“Yeah, since I was a kid! Every time I played in the gardens or forests, the animals would just sorta find me and hang around.” 

One of the spirits, a rabbit with wings, nuzzles Bokuto’s chin and Bokuto laughs while rubbing its belly. The spirit flying bunny things appear as a herd and one of them drifts closer to Iwaizumi, who regards it wearily. It watches Iwaizumi before coming closer and softly settling on his shoulder, its furry butt placed firmly on the man’s collarbones. Iwaizumi choses to accept his fate and tries to decide the next step of their planting adventure. 

Oikawa can’t handle all the cute. 

When Oikawa giggles like a child, the other rabbits turn to look at him before flying towards him immediately, knocking him to the ground and showering him with cuddles and kisses. Oikawa screeches from the attention. 

“My hair, oh my hair took me so long this morning, and now it’s ruined!” 

Iwaizumi nearly bends a rock at him. 

With the animals to keep them company, the three of them finish the rest of the planting, till the last plant is firmly placed in the ground. 

“Finally!” Bokuto wipes the sweat off his forehead, a tired smile on his lips. He extends a fist towards both Iwaizumi and Oikawa who bump it gently. 

“We’re not done yet though,” Iwaizumi counters, sighing softly. “We still need to water them once.” 

Bokuto opens his mouth to voice out a protest but Oikawa holds his hand up, silencing him with a smile. 

“I can take care of that. However, I suggest the two of you make tiny roofs for you selves.” 

Iwaizumi and Bokuto share a look before shrugging. If Oikawa was offering to finish the work without their help, they were more than willing to rest their heavy bodies and take a well needed break. 

They scoot closer till they’re sitting just a few inches apart and Bokuto weaves a few signs in the air before slamming his palm into the Earth. Immediately, a semicircular dome like structure covers their heads, and Iwaizumi barks out a laugh at Oikawa’s indignant huff of _Show off_. 

Oikawa inhales through the nose and exhales using his mouth, his entire body relaxing, his energy strong but muted. He keeps his eyes shut, his body facing the two of them as he widens his stance, his feet approximately shoulder’s length apart. Slowly, like he’s caressing the air, moving with its flow, his hands begin to create signs. His movements are fluid, practiced, like a well-oiled machine. Iwaizumi cant help but wonder how hard the man must’ve worked to feel this comfortable in himself. He admires that about Oikawa, his resilience and his determination. The entire month that he’d stayed with Iwaizumi back in the hut – Iwaizumi’s heart feels a slight pang at the thought of it – Oikawa had practiced his bending every single day, without fail. 

Oikawa’s eyes remain shut as the water behind him begins to flow out of the make shift vessel, swirling in the space above them. He slowly lets the water spread in the air, making the particles as tiny as possible, till they’re mere droplets. So thin, you can almost see the sky without noticing the liquid layer between. 

When he’s covered all the regions with the plants, Oikawa’s hands move towards the sky in a graceful motion, fingers curling into a loose fist before falling open, palms facing the infinitely vast sky. And just like that, Oikawa brings his hands back down, palms twisting to face him once again. His hands pause at chest level and he inhales quietly before pushing his palms down, his eyes finally snapping open. 

Water crashes down on them, over all the plants and the entirety of the village, not harshly but with a kind of firm strength that seems to do a perfect job of washing away some of the pain. Oikawa’s eyes remain trained in front of him, not really _seeing_ , and Iwaizumi is holding his breath. 

_He just made it rain_. 

Bokuto has a similar look of awe on his face, completely fascinated by whatever is happening around him. He realizes, with increasing excitement, that the two men he’s travelling with are far more powerful than he’d previously anticipated. It’s… _thrilling._

When the water in the air is finally exhausted, Oikawa relaxes his stance and his eyes focus once again, regaining its usual light. Bokuto slowly pushes the shelter back into the ground, still stunned by the spectacle that had just unfolded in front of them. Iwaizumi had met Water-benders before, including the Avatar herself, but he’s yet to see some water-bending that can top this. He’s _very_ impressed. 

“Pretty awesome huh?” There’s a ridiculously smug smile on Oikawa’s face that just grows when Bokuto nods vigorously. 

_And now_ he’s annoying. 

Oikawa loops his arm through Bokuto’s and begins leading him towards the path as they engage in an animated conversation about the different special abilities of Earth-benders. Bokuto seems overexcited as usual, and Oikawa listens intently, absorbing every word like a dry sponge. Sometimes, it scares Iwaizumi. Oikawa’s intensity is absolutely nothing to laugh at. 

They climb up a steep slope and move further into the forest but just before heading into the tree cover, Iwaizumi turns around, one last time. 

He remembers the village being darker somehow, but not so much anymore. There’ no life, not yet, but he can feel it, deep in the Earth. The animals are also gone, just as mysteriously as they’d appeared. It’s odd, but not in a bad way, just the opposite in fact. 

“Iwa-chan, we’re not getting any younger, get a move on!”

And on that note, Iwaizumi repositions _Kill Oikawa_ to the top of his to-do list. 

~

“So, do you have any friends that bend other elements?” 

It’s been a few days of camping, arguing and travelling, and the topic of bending comes up often as the three of them get to know each other. Oikawa directs the question at Bokuto, though it’s meant for Iwaizumi as well. While they’ve known each other a little longer than Bokuto has known them, it’s abundantly clear to all of them that they’re yet to learn much about each other. It’s a process, and Iwaizumi, surprisingly enough, is enjoying himself. 

He’s not exactly known to be the social type, though most people actually tend to like him.

“Well, I know people that bend all four, but I’ve only met one airbender my whole life. Water benders are not as rare, though not very common in my region. When I was a kid, my best friend was a firebender. Man, we were so tight! But he had to relocate cause his father was sent back home. It sucked to lose him, but we still stay in touch! He’ll always be like family.” 

Oikawa smiles politely, but the very mention of firebending still puts him on edge. Iwaizumi senses his discomfort and smoothly changes the subject. 

“Hey, if you ever need to send out messages, we’ve got Ivy. So just let me know yeah?”

Bokuto smiles, “I will, thanks Iwaizumi.” 

They walk for miles every day, talking and laughing, forming a bond of some sort. To Oikawa, it’s all new. He’s been surrounded by people his whole life. When he was a kid, everyone disliked him, especially after his dad died. When he was old enough to learn bending, he practiced twice as hard as anyone to get as good as he did, which made the other kids resent him even more. He grew up to be attractive, so that made the girls dislike him a lot less, and even a lot of the boys, but Oikawa hated that, hated the superficial nature of it all. 

_This,_ this friendship he shares with Iwaizumi and Bokuto is filled with a lighthearted happiness and warmth that he’s never experienced before and it’s, well, scary. He loves it, but part of him is too scared he’ll get attached. 

One look at Iwaizumi and he knows he’s wrong. 

He already is attached. 

They’re walking as usual, Bokuto leading this time, chattering away about the different owls that live in the woods behind his hometown when he suddenly stops, voice halted mid-sentence. Iwaizumi is instantly taking a fighting stance and Oikawa reaches for his water pouches, lid already half unscrewed. 

Bokuto turns around to look at them and his eyebrows furrow. “What are you guys doing?” 

Iwaizumi and Oikawa share a look before Oikawa answers, “Uh, preparing for danger?”

Bokuto shakes his head, a mischievous smile on his face. “No danger anywhere nearby. However, I can feel it.” 

Oikawa tightens the cap just as Iwaizumi relaxes his stance. “Feel what, Bokuto?” 

Bokuto looks into the distance, a determined look on his face. “The Air Temples. We’re close.” 

Iwaizumi walks past Bokuto and starts walking before turning around and shaking his head. “So, what are we waiting for?” 

And so they go, walking maybe a little bit faster than before. 

The Air Temples are near, and somehow, Oikawa feels it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've always agreed with the headcanon that bokuto is good with animals. 
> 
> next chapter is where the fun begins and more characters (important ones) are introduced! 
> 
> thank you all so much for your comments and support so far! it keeps me going!


	4. The Fireball of the Air Temple.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The giant’s head snaps up and his eyes bore right into Bokuto, who doesn’t stutter in his stance, but Iwaizumi can _feel_ his nerves. It must be intimidating, being on the receiving end of that glare. 
> 
> The giant takes one step towards Bokuto and Iwaizumi’s just about given up on the idea of peace when suddenly – 
> 
> “I am _not_ an Earth-bender.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im nervous about the avatar's identity revealing, but without further ado, happy reading!
> 
> also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY IWA-CHAN MY LOVE <3

For as long as he can remember, Oikawa’s been an avid reader. That tends to happen when you’re surrounded by people that have no issues telling you just how much they dislike you, but Oikawa likes to believe that even if he had a wonderfully happy childhood, his love for books would still be a part of who he is. 

He loves _everything_ about them- the texture of the papyrus, the smell, the solidness, the weight in his palms. He spent every free moment in the royal library back in the North, cooped up in a corner, with piles and piles of books flanking him. The librarian had a rather neutral stance towards him- she didn’t bother him, and she couldn’t be bothered by him. He liked that; he was upset when people were horrible to him but worse was when people _pitied_ him. He hated it when people, especially the parents of his classmates at the academy, looked at him with pity in their eyes. 

He didn’t want their pity, he didn’t _need_ it. 

He learned a lot in that library, more than he can ever begin to account for. He learned about the legends of the fire dragons, or how the moon came to be. He learned about the badgers in the Earth kingdom, badgers that were ginormous and blind, the original earth benders that saw with vibrations, like Iwaizumi does. He remembers reading about food all over the world and wondering how fire benders ate nuts that were practically on fire or wondering what a fruit salad in the air nation would taste like (apparently, given their vegetarian diet, they made the best salads in the world). 

He read about music and folklore, about legends and tales of horror. He found himself transported to new worlds, worlds beyond his own, and it always took his breath away. It was his little bit of magic in a dark place. 

A while back, maybe when he was twelve, Oikawa remembers reading about the Northern Air temples. They were described as big and simple, present in and around a huge mountain. The Air benders used flying bisons to move around, but since other nations wanted to visit the temples once in a while, a path was made that could be walked in about a day.

“Have I mentioned,” Bokuto grunts, trudging up slowly, “I hate inclines?” 

Oikawa nods in agreement. “This is _way_ harder than I thought.” 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes. “Shut up you two, we’ve barely even covered a fifth of the mountain.” 

Bokuto and Oikawa groan in unison, the very epitome of dramatic. Iwaizumi seriously contemplates throwing one of them (Oikawa, mostly) over the edge. He refrains, though barely. 

“Listen, we need to pick up the pace or we’re going to be here even at night and I am _not_ looking forward to that at all. So _move_ , both of you.” 

Oikawa continues to grumble under his breath but picks up the pace, while Bokuto yells out random war cries and bursts forward with a spurt of energy and waits there till Iwaizumi catches up before repeating the process. Iwaizumi’s almost worried about his mental wellbeing. 

When they’re half way there, Iwaizumi tells them to take a break and Oikawa has never been happier. 

“How come you don’t look tired at all, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa stares at him with accusing eyes. 

Iwaizumi shrugs. “I’ve seen worse, _way_ worse. Besides, my teacher was raised in hell, so this is actually really easy.” 

Oikawa shudders at the thought of a teacher like that and offers Bokuto a handkerchief when he sees him practically drooling with envy. 

They resume their journey soon after and as twilight takes over the sky, painting it various hues of purple and blue, with just a smattering of stars, they reach the top, the very top of the mountain. 

The view is nothing short of _breathtaking_. 

It’s like they’re floating amongst the clouds, Bokuto reaching out for one as it floats past them from above, and it caresses his fingers, a little dew collecting on his skin. They’re all smiles, even Iwaizumi, because it’s not every day you see a view like this. But surprisingly, there’s no temple in sight. Not a single one. 

“W-w-who are you? And what a-are you doing here?” 

The voice is too high pitched to be Bokuto or Iwaizumi’s, and while Oikawa has felt fear before, he never lets it show, especially in his voice. The three of them turn to face each other before turning to face the source. 

Orange. An orange so ridiculously _bright_ it almost hurts Oikawa to look at it directly. That’s the colour of the man’s hair, as well as his robes but his hair is brighter than his clothing. He has pale, unblemished skin, wide eyes that are a light brown colour and a small but extremely lithe body. None of them are fooled by his height or small frame- this man is strong. In his left hand is a wooden staff, and his right hand is facing them, his palm open and shaking. 

Oikawa takes one step forward and the man moves, so fast it’s impossible to keep up. He reaches for his staff and twists it in his hands, creating a strong gust of wind that blows Oikawa away. Iwaizumi slams his foot in the ground and creates a small protrusion that catches Oikawa. The blow isn’t soft but at least he isn’t blasted off the mountain. 

The moment Iwaizumi Earthbends, the man seems even more frightened. He takes another battle stance and Bokuto mirrors him. Oikawa is rubbing his head and grumbling profanities under his breath and Iwaizumi doesn’t know how to calm everyone down. 

“Hinata?” 

A man, or rather a giant, walks up behind the orange head – Hinata, was it?- and looks at him with a stoic expression. “What's going on?” 

It’s alarming, the way Hinata’s body language changes from tense and defensive to slack and confident. “Taka! We have visitors, and they’re Earth-benders.” 

The giant’s head snaps up and his eyes bore right into Bokuto, who doesn’t stutter in his stance, but Iwaizumi can _feel_ his nerves. It must be intimidating, being on the receiving end of that glare. 

The giant takes one step towards Bokuto and Iwaizumi’s just about given up on the idea of peace when suddenly – 

“I am _not_ an Earth-bender.” 

Oikawa looks offended, and he simply unscrews his water pouch and bends some water out before making a small hurricane in front of himself. It’s about a foot tall, and he blows on it gently, making it float forward till it’s right in front of that Hinata guy before it vaporizes, shrouding him in a soft, sparkly mist. Hinata’s eyes are filled with surprise and glee at the display. 

“That was so cool!” he yells, jumping ridiculously high. _Taka_ quirks a brow but makes no move to step closer to Bokuto, who subsequently relaxes his own guard. 

“I’m assuming you’re not here to attack us.” 

Oikawa nods in the giant’s direction. “I’m willing to bet the same people that came to my tribe are the ones that came here.” 

Taka stares at Oikawa, his gaze piercing and unwavering. Oikawa doesn’t budge, his posture relaxed, his shoulders straight. 

“Did a man with ridiculously messy red hair pay you a visit?” 

Taka's eyes brighten with recognition and he gives Oikawa a tense nod. Oikawa looks away, and it’s almost as if Iwaizumi can _hear_ the gears in his brain shifting. It’s frightening, how quickly Oikawa had put two and two together. 

“And why did they come here?” 

Taka had turned around and was now standing next to Hinata again, the two of them complimenting each other perfectly. He shrugs, his face back to its usual stoic expression.

“They accused us of hiding someone, or rather, they accused the Avatar of protecting and hiding a fugitive. They nearly destroyed one of our temples but we drove them away.”  
Iwaizumi notices Oikawa pale and he takes over. “Listen, this guy and I-“ he points at Bokuto “-we’re both Earth-benders but we’re not here to cause trouble. We just need to talk to the Avatar, we have some important questions to ask her.” 

Taka crosses his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And who are you people?” 

“He’s Oikawa, white haired crazy dude is Bokuto and I am Iwaizumi.” 

Taka inhales sharply, and it’s weird seeing something akin to an expression of surprise on his face. 

“Iwaizumi? As in Iwaizumi Hajime?”

Iwaizumi nods. 

Hinata looks him up and down, _Ohhh_ ’ing and _ahhh_ ’ing annoyingly. “You look just the way she described you.” 

Iwaizumi’s face breaks into a grin. “She talks about me huh?” 

Hinata nods vigorously, his smile threatening to tear his face. “She used to, all the time. She says you were the best teacher she could’ve ever asked for.” 

“I’m glad.” 

Oikawa gasps before stomping towards him and spinning Iwaizumi around. 

“You were the Avatar’s _teacher_?” 

Iwaizumi nods once, eyebrows raised. “Yes, what of it?” 

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa sounds betrayed. “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were just casual friends or something.” 

“We are friends,” Iwaziumi counters, mystified by the man’s outburst. “The moment she mastered Earth-Bending, I seized being her teacher but we always kept in touch.” 

Oikawa shakes his head and looks away, mouth set in an angry line. “Liar.” 

Bokuto doesn’t look all that surprised, probably because he knew who Iwaizumi was. It wasn’t a secret that the man was the Avatar’s teacher, but news like this didn’t become international so it isn’t surprising that Oikawa didn’t know. 

“Would you like to meet her?” 

Iwaizumi looks over at Taka and nods, expression serious. “This is a matter that needs to be prioritized. So yes, please lead the way.”

~

Hinata is a chatterbox, a continuous stream of words pouring out of his mouth constantly. Bokuto seems to be the only one that can keep up with his energy, so Iwaizumi and Oikawa leave it to him. Iwaizumi has to admit though, there’s something about Hinata that he really likes. Maybe it’s the innocence with which his mouth curves into a smile or the way he seems to be radiating happiness. Aone (apparently that's the giant's name) isn’t a part of the conversation but his eyes are dancing with amusement at Bokuto’s and Hinata’s antics. It’s clear that the man is very protective towards the orange headed fireball. 

They reach the edge of the mountain and Iwaizumi is still a little confused about the distinct lack of temples. 

Hinata suddenly seizes his chatter and runs forward to stand beside Aone. They both look at each other and nod before pushing their fingers into their mouth and blowing. 

The whistle isn’t too piercing but it is _loud_ , echoing through the mountains over and over. Iwaizumi doesn’t hear them approaching but he sure as hell sees them. 

He’d never seen a flying bison before, but they’re just as big as the description. The two bison circle the mountain before landing next to Aone and Hinata respectively, nudging their heads lovingly against their best friends. Hinata laughs, his face filled with unadulterated joy before pushing the bison away gently, his hand firmly around its neck. 

“This is Rahul, my flying bison and my best friend. And Taka's is Anvi.” 

Bokuto is already running towards Rahul and he stops just short of the beast, bouncing in his spot. It’s like he’s _dying_ to touch him, and when Hinata gives him a nod of approval, Bokuto goes still and extends his hand, his stance open and non-hostile. 

Rahul sniffs his hand gently before giving him a big old lick that Bokuto receives with a breathless laugh and soon he’s cuddling the beast, affectionately scratching below his neck. 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi cautiously approach Anvi and she appraises them slowly, seeming a tad wary. Aone calms her with a hand to the side of her face and gestures for them to touch her. Iwaizumi is the first to approach her, laying a gentle hand on her nose. Anvi stares at him before closing her eyes and relaxing into the touch. Oikawa gently strokes the fur below her chin and earns a hum of approval. 

Bokuto decides to ride with Hinata while Oikawa and Iwaizumi get on Anvi. When they’re all settled down, Hinata and Aone simultaneously snap the reins. 

“Yip-yip!” 

The bisons take off immediately and they’re _flying_. Iwaizumi has never experienced this before, not like this, and it’s nothing short of magical. He feels so _light_ , his stomach churning violently. Oikawa is just as blown away as he is, absorbing the sights around them with a profound enthusiasm and a positively delighted face. Without realizing it, he grabs onto Iwaizumi’s arm, for support probably, and Iwaizumi lets it stay. He’s too excited himself anyway. 

Bokuto is hollering on the bison next to theirs and Hinata is joining in, and for once Iwaizumi yells too, letting go. 

He is _flying_ after all. 

~

The journey isn’t a very long one and when they reach the Air temples, a couple of things become clear. 

The temples are huge, spread over a vast area. They’re even more beautiful than the descriptions back in the library books, and Oikawa finds his mouth hanging wide open, unable to comprehend the scene in front of him because the books had forgotten to mention one crucial detail. 

There was a reason they couldn’t see the temples from atop the mountain; the damn things were hanging _upside town_ within the mountain itself. Peals of laughter can be heard and Hinata wipes at his eyes, his white teeth out on display. 

“The expressions never get old, do they Taka?” 

Aone’s face is still completely expressionless but he nods in agreement with a small grunt. 

They land in one of the courtyards and Bokuto jumps off immediately, sighing at the feeling of solid ground beneath him. Iwaizumi completely understands and follows suit, landing on the ground and letting his toes dig in, _feeling_ the land. Flying had been a life changing experience but he _is_ an Earth-bender. The solid land gives him comfort like no other. 

Aone, Oikawa and Hinata dismount soon after. Aone and Hinata pet their bison before telling them to go and play. With a final lick from Rahul and an affectionate bump from Anvi, the two of them fly off. 

“The Avatar is this way,” Hinata declares, pointing at a humongous door at the far end of the courtyard, on the other side of the fountain. They all start walking towards it, Hinata striking a conversation with Iwaizumi. 

“How old are you, Iwaizumi-san?” 

“I am 22. What’s your full name?” 

“Hinata Shoyo, and he’s Aone Takanobu.” Hinata laughs sheepishly before continuing. “I know it’s strange that I keep talking for him, but he’s just a very quiet person so it’s easier this way.” 

Iwaizumi nods. “Makes sense. You seem close.” 

Hinata grins that same innocent, completely radiant smile that makes it difficult to look at him directly. “We are! I’ve known Taka since we were babies. We grew up together! He’s a year older than I am, but he’s my best friend, just like Rahul.”

It seems Aone has no issue being compared to a bison- if anything, he looks _flattered_.

The corridor beyond the door is long, creepers crawling up the large pillars on both sides. The passage is more like a bridge, with the moonlight flooding in from the left, lighting up the crystals and giving the place an ethereal look. It’s almost hauntingly beautiful. 

“What crystals are those?” 

Iwaizumi turns around to answer Oikawa but his voice catches in his throat. It annoys him to no end, every time he’s struck by the realization of just how bloody attractive the water-bender is. The moonlight makes his skin glow, his smile and his dimples highlighted just right. Bokuto answers him when Iwaizumi takes too long, and Iwaizumi turns around sharply, berating himself mentally. 

He misses Aone’s sharp gaze on him. 

They finally reach the room at the end of the corridor and Hinata pulls the staff off his back before holding it in both his hands. He twists it expertly, creating a fan of sorts and the movement increases the speed of the air around them, throwing the door opens. 

_So you need airbending to open the doors,_ Iwaizumi muses. _Smart_.

Inside, the room is illuminated by hundreds of candles, some floating above them in random patterns. The room is minimalistic but gorgeous. The walls look ancient but sturdy, and the ground feels heavy with history and spiritual energy. It’s comforting. 

In the middle of the room is a large round table where currently two people are seated, heads bent down as they pour over something. They don’t even notice the new presences in the room. 

“Kei-san! Avatar! We have guests!” 

The man looks up and stands before turning around to face the group. Iwaizumi hears a sharp intake of breath from Bokuto, and he absolutely _cannot_ blame him. 

The man is, for lack of better words, gorgeous. A mess of black hair sits atop his head, and his pale skin glows in the warm yellow light of the candles. He isn’t dressed in the same orange robs as Hinata and Aone but is adorning a red suit that kinda looks aerodynamic. His jawline is sharp, his cheekbones high, his lips thin but lush. He isn’t smiling but his eyes are alight with amusement. He starts making his way towards the group, his steps echoing in the hall. 

He stops in front of Oikawa who’s leading the three of them. “Hello, and who might you be?”

Oikawa sniffs before turning his nose up, seeming to look _down_ at Kei. “I’m Oikawa, that one there is Bokuto and this is Iwa-chan.” 

“Iwaizumi, not Iwa-chan,” Iwaizumi corrects through gritted teeth. His voice makes the Avatar’s head snap up and he smiles. She hadn’t reacted at all so far, but his voice seemed to make her snap out of her trance. 

The beau- _man_ stares at Iwaizumi, a small smile playing on his lips. “Iwaizumi Hajime, it is an honor to welcome you to our temple.” 

Iwaizumi bows, his eyes staying on the woman. She finally gets up and turns around to face the group, a familiar gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. 

She approaches the group and stands next to the man before taking a step closer to Iwaizumi. They both bow. 

“It’s been a while, Hajime.” 

Iwaizumi smiles, “It has, Kiyoko.” 

Kiyoko looks pretty much the same, except maybe a little stronger, her stance confident and her features a tad harder. She and Iwaizumi are the same age, and it was weird being called sensei, but he hadn’t been hesitant about teaching her. She chose him, and he did everything in his power to teach her the ways of Earth-bending. Since she was an air-bender, it took her more time to learn it because it was the polar opposite of her natural element, but she was dedicated and stubborn, and in due time she could hold her own against Iwaizumi. 

Her stormy gray eyes are bright and warm behind her glasses, and her skin is pale, littered with small scars. The cute mole on the lower left side of her chin starkly contrasts against her complexion, and her grip on Iwaizumi when she pulls him in for a brief hug is strong. He hugs her back just as hard, and smiles when he notices she even _smells_ the same – like a summer breeze. 

She pulls back and throws another smile his way before turning to face the rest of the guests. “And these are your friends?” 

Iwaizumi sighs but he cant deny it anymore. Oikawa and Bokuto are his friends, and deep down he knows he isn’t opposed to the concept at all. It’s just, every time he sees that smug smile on Oikawa’s face, he wants to throw something. 

“Yeah, meet Oikawa and Bokuto.” 

Kiyoko bows politely and they follow in kind, though Bokuto’s eyes haven’t left the other man, his mouth slightly ajar. 

“That is Akaashi Keiji,” Kiyoko introduces with a glint in her eyes. It seems she noticed Bokuto’s blatantly obvious interest as well. “A close companion and my primary advisor. He also teaches the children.” 

Akaashi bows again, his body very purposely oriented away from Bokuto. Iwaizumi sniggers. 

“So, Hajime,” Kiyoko starts, leading the group to the round table, “to what do I owe the pleasure? Surely, you aren’t visiting for some superfluous reason?”

Iwaizumi sighs, because there’s no easy way to explain the situation. He takes a seat next to her, Oikawa flanking him on the other side. Akaashi sits beside Kiyoko and Bokuto sits next to him, half paying attention to the conversation at hand, half staring at Akaashi.

“I will explain, but you need to please listen with an open mind ok?” 

Kiyoko looks confused but nods anyway. Akaashi’s guard visibly goes up, and Bokuto, sensing the tension rolling off him straightens his own back, suddenly focusing on them. Before he can start however-

“Um, should we leave or stay?” Hinata’s voice is soft and hesitant. Iwaizumi looks at Kiyoko. 

“Do you trust them?”

She nods without missing a beat. 

Iwaizumi waves them over. Hinata skips over and takes a seat next to Bokuto, placing his elbows on the table and leaning in, his attention undivided. Aone sits on his other side, a quiet but strong presence. 

“Ok so basically, this idiot,” Iwaizumi gestures at Oikawa and dodges the smack coming his way, “passed out by the river near my house. I took him back home and when he came to, he revealed to me that he was a water bender. I told him he could stay till he felt better and this went on for about a month.”

Iwaizumi stops to breathe before continuing. “When he finally decided to leave, and he was heading for the South pole by the way, I decided to go with him. I don’t know why, but a huge part of me was telling me it was the right thing to do. We were packing our bags when Oikawa suddenly freaks out, remembering a tiny detail he’d forgotten to mention to me.”

Iwaizumi stops and lets Oikawa continue. 

“It’s not like I was intentionally keeping it from Iwa-chan, it’s just a topic I tend to ignore because, well. Anyway, before I say anything, I want to apologise to Bokuto.”

Bokuto stares at him and cocks his head, looking confused. “For what?” 

Oikawa sighs, a sad look in his eyes. “For not telling you sooner.” 

Oikawa looks to the side and his gaze lands on a candle. Raising his hand slowly, Oikawa turns his palm slowly, and from the flame, small sparks erupt till tiny balls of fire emerge and float towards the group before dissipating half way. 

The room is shrouded in a _deafening_ silence. Iwaizumi can’t even hear the sound of anyone breathing. The air is suddenly heavier, though Iwaizumi’s not sure if it’s because of the mood or because of the Avatar and the other air benders in the room. 

The worst thing though is the look on Bokuto’s face. He doesn’t look angry or betrayed, he looks unbearably _sad_. They may not have known him for long but Bokuto had proved on more than one occasion that they could trust him and yet, they’d withheld this information. 

Oikawa opens his mouth to say something to him but snaps it shut, his teeth clenching. There’s really nothing he can say.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Kiyoko’s voice breaks the silence, but the air is still tense. Iwaizumi and Oikawa turn to face her, and while she doesn’t look completely flabbergasted, she does look alarmed. 

Oikawa shakes his head helplessly. “I don’t know either! I discovered it when I was a kid but kept it a secret. When those Earth-benders showed up at my doorstep, I knew I was in danger and decided to run. They’re the same guys that showed up here, and I bet they were looking for me.”

Kiyoko and Akaashi share a look. They both cant seem to understand how exactly to deal with the situation. 

“Um…”

“YOU CAN BEND _TWO_ ELEMENTS?” 

Hinata’s loud voice makes them all wince but the tension in the air naturally dissipates. In that moment, Iwaizumi couldn’t be more thankful for the existence of the little fireball. 

Oikawa nods mutely. Hinata’s eyes widen even more somehow. 

“That’s so _cool_!” 

Oikawa shrugs, but there’s a smile in his eyes. Everyone is loosening up a little, but Bokuto still looks sad, his face remaining expressionless but his eyes clouded with loneliness. Iwaizumi cant stand it, he can barely imagine how Oikawa’s feeling. 

Akaashi inhales softly before speaking. “It’s late, and this is a _lot_ to digest. How about we all get some rest and talk about this in the morning?” 

Iwaizumi’s only too eager to accept, because truth be told, he’s pretty tired himself, and while Oikawa’s putting up a great front, Iwaizumi can see the exhaustion in the line of his shoulders and the hollow of his cheeks. 

“I agree,” Kiyoko says and stands up, everyone following suit. She turns to look at Iwaizumi, a small smile gracing her features. “We shall discuss this first thing tomorrow. Now, you must rest. Hinata and Aone will show you to your chambers.” 

Hinata shouts for them to follow him before pulling Aone by the forearm and leading the group. Iwaizumi and Oikawa walk beside Kiyoko but Bokuto lingers behind, trudging behind them. He looks like a kicked puppy and it seems Oikawa can’t handle it anymore. 

He turns around and stalks up to him. 

“I’m sorry!” 

It’s a loud and firm apology, and every crevice of Oikawa’s body seems to ooze sincerity. He bows lightly, eyes fixed on the ground. 

“I know this is a shitty excuse,” he continues, his hands shaking slightly. He clenches them into fists just to make it stop. “I didn’t tell you not because I didn’t trust you but in the off chance that we got caught, I hoped that they’d let you go unharmed if you were kept in the dark. I know it was a stupid thing to do b-“

Bokuto cuts him off with a bone crushing hug, his arms strong and warm around Oikawa’s middle. Oikawa slumps against him and hugs him back, keeping him real close before gently moving back. 

“It’s ok, at least I know now.”

Oikawa nods. “You do.”

The moment turns a little awkward as the two let go of each other and every one starts walking again, in silence. Iwaizumi coughs loudly and turns to look at Bokuto. 

“Say, didn’t you have something you wanted to run by Kiyoko?” 

Bokuto furrows his brows. “I did?” 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes. “Bo, what was the whole point of you coming here?” 

Bokuto’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree when he finally remembers and he begins to sprint till he catches up with Kiyoko and Akaashi. He stops in front of her, spares Akaashi a glance before focusing on Kiyoko again. 

“I want to challenge you, Avatar!” 

Bokuto’s voice isn’t shaking, but his hands sure are. Kiyoko doesn’t answer right away, giving Iwaizumi and Oikawa enough time to catch up. Every one, including Akaashi, is regarding the situation good naturedly. 

Kiyoko sighs softly before nodding once. “Very well, I accept your challenge.”

For a second, Bokuto is shocked that she does, but he recovers soon enough and runs over to Hinata to give him a high five. The two of them jump around and Akaashi massages his temples. 

“How do they have so much energy?” 

Iwaizumi shrugs. “They’re a different species, that’s for damn sure.” 

Aone, Kiyoko and Oikawa nod in agreement. 

As they walk towards their rooms after bidding Kiyoko and Akaashi goodnight, Iwaizumi can’t seem to get rid of the smile on his face, but he soon realizes he cant help it. 

After all, tomorrow is going to be a very _interesting_ day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the floating candles was a very harry potter thing but i've always thought it was beautiful! 
> 
> and ive also believed shimizu kiyoko is perfection incarnate. i hope the reveal didn't disappoint! 
> 
> bokuto is in love and really, can anyone blame him? 
> 
> comments give me life!


	5. And So, It Begins.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The rules are simple,” Akaashi says, voice loud and clear. “The round will last a maximum of five minutes. No lethal attacks allowed, the challenge will end the moment I deem someone close to fatal danger. The one who manages to back their opponent into a corner, with absolutely no escape, will be the winner.” 
> 
> Bokuto and Kiyoko nod, eyes trained on one another, sizing each other up. Iwaizumi is leaning against the railing, Oikawa pressed against his side, watching with an enthusiasm that’s almost worse than Hinata’s. Even Aone seems excited, his eyes wide and lips barely parted. 
> 
> Akaashi puts his hand up and sticks three fingers out, then two, then one, then drops the hand to chest level, signifying the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im slowly but surely making the romances of this fic a little clearer, cause i dont want to rush them. also, i had an exam on the 15th, so this update took a little time. 
> 
> still cant believe i enjoy writing for this! 
> 
> happy reading! :)

Night is upon them, the crescent moon sitting high in the sky, millions of stars glittering and winking at the world. A gust of wind blows past Oikawa and he shivers, the chill seeping into his bones. Glancing at his sleeveless tunic, he realizes that in retrospect, he should’ve brought his warm, north-pole-ready coat. 

Sleep refused to drag him into the world of dreams, and so Oikawa had decided to explore a little. Their rooms were in a large tower on separate floors, and while Oikawa couldn’t really leave the building without air bending or a flying bison, the building itself seemed rather interesting. They were placed on the higher floors, closer to the mountain, while the lower floors overlooked the edge of the cliff. 

As he’d been walking down the winding staircase, Oikawa had found a crack in the wall, just big enough for one person to crawl through. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he’d made his way to the other side, only to find himself on a long aisle with a tiny circular landing at the end. If he were to guess, this was a meditation spot. There aren’t any noises, just the sound of the wind caressing his skin, and the smell of fresh, healthy air. 

But why he really loves it?

The stars. 

The view is positively riveting, the sky filled to the very brim. He’s already caught sight of some shooting stars, and in that moment, he feels so small, so miniscule, a dust particle in the infinity that extends beyond what the eye can ever possibly perceive. 

When a jacket is draped over him, Oikawa doesn’t need to look up to know who it is. He just smiles and slips his hands through the sleeves, scooting a little to the side and making some space for Iwaizumi. The earthbender grunts a little as he sits down heavily, folding his legs. He’s wearing a long sleeved shirt and some trousers, and Oikawa can feel the heat radiating from him. 

“Can’t sleep?” 

Iwaizumi isn’t looking at him, he’s looking up at the sky, eyes marveling at the wonder above them. Oikawa briefly wonders how amazed he’d be if he ever saw the northern lights. He’d probably hold his breath and smile. 

Oikawa wants to see that smile. 

“Not really,” he answers, staring at the plants growing through the cracks of the cliff. 

Iwaizumi hums. “Me neither.” 

Shifting a little, Iwaizumi puts his hands behind him and lifts his legs, drawing his knees up a little. He’s still looking up, a small smile on his lips. 

“What do you think of Kiyoko?” 

Oikawa grins back. “I think she’s awesome! I mean, with my own problems taking up so much of my time, I never really imagined what she’d be like, but she’s so, I don’t know, graceful? I felt very comfortable in her presence.”

Iwaizumi nods. “That’s one of the reasons I liked her from the start. She was so sure I was the teacher for her, and she requested it so sincerely, over and over again. I wasn’t anything great, but she insisted I was _the one_ , and eventually she wore me down.” Iwaizumi huffs out a laugh, “I’m glad I said yes.”

Oikawa’s gut twists when he hears the fondness with which Iwaizumi talks about her but he pushes it away. Putting on his best fake smile, he turns to face Iwaizumi, who’s looking at him too. 

“I had to ask you something actually,” Iwaizumi mutters, his cheeks tinted the lightest red. Iwaizumi _embarrassed_? Oikawa is immediately intrigued. 

“Ask away, Iwa-chan.” 

Iwaizumi swats at him playfully before clearing his throat. “Have you met Akaashi before? Like, is he a friend or something?” 

Oikawa stiffens at the mention of the air bender and Iwaizumi must’ve sensed his distress, because suddenly he scoots a little closer, his side pressed against Oikawa’s. Oikawa exhales harshly and looks away, pulling the jacket tighter around himself. 

“No, I don’t. Why, why are you asking me that?” 

Iwaizumi seems to be struggling with his words. “I don’t know how to explain it, but something about the way you spoke to him and behaved around him, it’s like… it’s like you don’t like him? Or something?” 

Oikawa’s shoulders slump and he laughs humorlessly. Apparently, he’d been far more transparent than he’d anticipated. At least, to Iwaizumi, the man who knew him a lot better than he sometimes gave him credit for. 

“It’s not that I dislike him,” Oikawa starts, slowly turning back around, glancing at Iwaizumi wearily before looking up. “I have no reason to. It’s just, ok, this is really stupid so don’t laugh ok?” 

Iwaizumi nods, serious. 

“I was insecure.”

Iwaizumi cocks his head, silently pushing him to continue. 

Oikawa swallows. “I, you know I was bullied back in the North right? So after puberty, I became, well, this.” He gestures to his face. “Apparently people liked my face. At least the girls, and maybe some of the guys did. The ones that didn’t however, they just made life worse. They said the only good thing about me is my beauty.” Oikawa begins fidgeting with his fingers, holding back unwanted tears. 

“I never listened, of course I didn’t. But it affects you, whether you like it or not. I practiced my bending twice as hard, just to distract myself but those words would echo in my head all the fucking time. And even now, any time I’m in the presence of someone as attractive as Akaashi, and I mean _come on_ , what are those cheekbones? Anyways, I just get really defensive, and those words come back and I get really horrible.”

Oikawa finally shuts up and inhales, waiting for the laughter. He feels so stupid, so extraordinarily stupid, and his thoughts put into words sounds even dumber; he can’t even begin to fathom it. 

But there’s nothing. Just the silence of the night, the sound of the fountain from the landing beneath them, and the soft breathing of Iwaizumi next to him. One moment they’re just sitting there, the next, Iwaizumi’s hands are finding his, separating the mess he’s made of his own fingers and covering the entirety of his hand with Iwaizumi’s own. It’s so warm, so calloused, so comfortable. Iwaizumi squeezes, not speaking till Oikawa’s looking right at him.

“It’s not stupid.” Iwaizumi gives his hand another squeeze. “It is _not_ stupid. Everyone is insecure about something or the other. Doesn’t make it any less important or something laughable. The only thing we can do is try our best to face our fears and get over them, you know?” Oikawa nods mutely, an invisible weight slowly, oh so slowly, lifting off his chest. 

“And for what it’s worth, uh.” Iwaizumi looks away, and Oikawa can see his ears turning an absolutely adorable cherry red. 

“What, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa squeezes his hand this time, voice teasing. “Tell me, _tell mee_!”

“…. you were …..”

Oikawa leans in closer, trying to catch the rest of his words. “Huh? I can’t understand Iwa-chan!”

Iwaizumi whips around, face beet red. “I said I thought you were the best looking guy in that room, you dumbass!”

Oikawa is so _stunned_ , he can’t even think of a witty comeback. He’d never thought Iwaizumi could be so openly affectionate towards him, especially since they weren’t like _that_. Something deep in the recesses of Oikawa’s heart stirs, and he feels warm _everywhere_ , a violent blush covering the entirety of his face as well. 

“I, just. Thank you.” 

He must sound sincere, because Iwaizumi’s still blushing but he doesn’t pull away, his hand still sandwiched between Oikawa’s. Oikawa is resting his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, curled into his side, comforted by his heat and his earthy smell, and the familiarity that he’s come to associate with the earthbender. 

“You know, I just realized something.”

Iwaizumi groans. “Please don’t ruin the moment.”

Oikawa smacks his knee before continuing. “Shut up! I just realized that, at 22, I made my first best friend.”

His words are met with an impossibly heavy silence, and as a nervous habit, he begins babbling, “I mean, I never thought I’d make one, not with my horrendous track record with people, but then you showed up and I was like _Iwa-chan’s such a brute_ but you were a _nice_ brute and I-“

“Oikawa.” Iwaizumi’s voice is firm, his grip on Oikawa solid. 

Iwaizumi rests his head atop Oikawa’s, his cheek warm. “I made a new best friend at 22, and as much as I want to kick his ass off this building sometimes, I’m really glad he came into my life.” 

Oikawa buries his face into Iwaizumi’s sleeve, and Iwaizumi doesn’t utter a word when he feels the dampness wet the material of his shirt, just smiles softly and looks back up.

The stars are beautiful. 

~

“This is gonna be awesome!” Hinata trills, bouncing up and down like the ball of energy he is. Iwaizumi refrains from covering his ears because honestly, it’s just too damn early, and he and Oikawa had fallen asleep on that stupid landing in a really weird position, so there’s this stupid catch in his shoulder. Oikawa groans and places a hand on Hinata’s head. 

“Chibi-chan, please calm down, you’re giving me a headache.” 

Hinata stares at him with wide, confused eyes before smiling and shrugging, lowering his voice. 

Aone stares at Oikawa, throwing him a thankful glance. 

Bokuto, Iwaizumi notices, is nowhere in sight. 

“Where are we going?” 

Hinata takes a turn and everyone follows as they make their way out of the building. “Well, Kiyoko-san is meditating with Kei-san, so we’ll pick them up and take them to the place where the fight is going to be held.” 

Oikawa rubs his eyes and asks, “And where’s that?” 

“Well, Kiyoko-san wanted it to be some place an earthbender could better utilize the earth, since there’s not much of it around here. So we’re going to one of the flatter mountain peaks, much like the one I met you guys on last night.”

Oikawa whistles softly. “That’s really considerate of her.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Hinata shrugs. “Kiyoko-san is going to win.”

Oikawa scoffs, “What, just cause she’s the Avatar?”

Hinata stops and turns around, and the look in his eyes makes Iwaizumi and Oikawa stop dead in their tracks. The heated intensity in Hinata’s gaze is absolutely _terrifying_ , a thrill creeping down Iwaizumi’s spine, goose bumps covering his arms. 

“Because she’s Kiyoko-san.”

They spend the rest of the walk talking about what to have for breakfast because the tension in the air had become slightly uncomfortable. 

But Hinata had a point. This is Kiyoko they’re talking about. 

They reach a cliff edge, a small stream of water trickling down the mountain, while Kiyoko and Akaashi meditate in front of it, legs crossed, fists clenched and knuckles pressed into one another. There’s a look of peace on both their faces, and Iwaizumi uses the opportunity to observe their tattoos.

Kiyoko had her tattoos back when she’d first met Iwaizumi, but her hair was much shorter then that it is now. She’d shaved her head for the ceremony, and her hair had been in a messy boy cut for a while. Now, she had styled it in an undercut, her hair pulled back in a high pony while the sides were shaved off. Undercuts seem to be a hairstyle that’s popular amongst the airbenders; Akaashi and Hinata had undercuts. Aone had a buzz cut, and it suited him and his stoic, quiet, strangely gentle presence. 

Iwaizumi had always found their tattoos very attractive. The sharp contrast of the blue against the pale skin was something he found appealing, and it was a mark of high level of skill. It was another reason Iwaizumi hadn’t taken Hinata lightly the first time they’d met- his tattoos spoke volumes. After all, they weren’t granted to just anyone. 

Kiyoko and Akaashi slowly open their eyes and blink against the light, breathing in deeply. A fond smile curves Kiyoko’s lips when she sees Iwaizumi, who smiles and waves back. The two of them join the rest of the gang. 

“Good morning.” Kiyoko and Akaashi bow gently, and the rest of the group follow suit. When the formalities are done with, Iwaizumi looks up and catches Kiyoko’s eye. 

“So, you ready?” 

Kiyoko nods once, her stare impassive but her energy high. She seems excited somehow, like she’d sensed Bokuto’s power. 

Hinata jumps up and down again, practically vibrating with pent up energy. “Let’s go, let’s go, _let’s go_!”

Akaashi sighs and smacks him gently, earning him a _Kei-san, that hurt_. Shaking his head, he looks up at Aone, “Call Anvi and Rahul please.”

Aone nods and pulls out a white, bison shaped whistle before blowing into it. The sound isn’t of a frequency that can be heard by humans, but moments later, two bison are standing on the landing with them, bumping playfully into Hinata and Aone. 

Kiyoko and Akaashi ride with Aone while Iwaizumi and Oikawa carefully climb atop Anvi, petting her gently. With a snort, she takes off, and they’re amongst the clouds again. It’s magic, and Iwaizumi suspects he’s always going to feel this way. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, he supposes. 

It takes them barely any time to reach the mountain, and they make a graceful descent. Oikawa jumps off and starts walking towards a figure that looks a lot like Bokuto. He’s standing with his back to them, hair spiked up in its usual manner, shirtless. 

Iwaizumi pulls Oikawa back sharply. 

“Wha-“

“Don’t disturb him.” Iwaizumi points at his feet, which are bare. “Notice his stance?” He’s standing with his legs about shoulders distance apart, hands clenched into fists and resting beside his hips, slightly outstretched. His back rises and falls rhythmically, without missing a beat, a steady tempo.

“He’s concentrating. Getting a feel for the land beneath his feet. It’s different every single place we go, so he needs to get used to this before he uses it in a fight, especially if his opponent has been using the very same earth to practice, because that means-“

“She knows how to use the earth way better than he does over here,” Oikawa completes, staring at Bokuto in awe. “Kou-chan is kinda awesome sometimes, isn’t he?”

Iwaizumi ignores the smallest pinch in his chest, nodding in agreement instead.

When Kiyoko takes her position a few feet behind him, Bokuto exhales one last time before standing to his full height and turning around. His eyes are still shut, his breathing slow and deep. 

When he opens his eyes, Iwaizumi feels his guard go up immediately, his body instinctively moving to cover Oikawa a little. 

Those are the eyes of a warrior. 

“I have one request before we begin,” Bokuto says, bowing deep. Kiyoko returns the bow. 

“Go ahead.”

“Please use all your abilities, not just your earth bending. I wish to challenge the Avatar at full capacity, not to determine who the better earthbender is.”

Kiyoko nods, “As you wish.”

When they take their battle stances, Iwaizumi realizes it’s his cue to get to work. Without further ado, he crouches down and concentrates for a second before slapping the earth with his palms, elevating the land till it’s at a sufficient height. He quickly makes a railing of sorts, and now the five of them have a viewing box, away from harm.

“The rules are simple,” Akaashi says, voice loud and clear. “The round will last a maximum of five minutes. No lethal attacks allowed, the challenge will end the moment I deem someone close to fatal danger. The one who manages to back their opponent into a corner, with absolutely no escape, will be the winner.” 

Bokuto and Kiyoko nod, eyes trained on one another, sizing each other up. Iwaizumi is leaning against the railing, Oikawa pressed against his side, watching with an enthusiasm that’s almost worse than Hinata’s. Even Aone seems excited, his eyes wide and lips barely parted. 

Akaashi puts his hand up and sticks three fingers out, then two, then one, then drops the hand to chest level, signifying the beginning. 

They move at _frightening_ speeds. Kiyoko goes on the offensive immediately, blasting a gust of wind at Bokuto. Bokuto seems to have anticipated this, so he drops to his knees in a second, procuring some earth shields, scattering them seemingly randomly. Hiding behind them, he makes a javelin out of the earth and rolls from shield to shield, avoiding Kiyoko’s blasts of air and fire while moving closer and closer. It’s a smart move, but Kiyoko has access to a different part of the battlefield that Bokuto doesn’t. 

The sky. 

Creating an intense ball of air, Kiyoko leaps on it and guides it to the top, looking at Bokuto from above. She immediately shoots streams of fire at him, Bokuto dodging but just barely. Slamming his hands into the ground, Bokuto creates a dome above him, effectively protecting him but also rendering him blind. 

“Why doesn’t he bend some metal at her?” Oikawa wonders out loud, eyes still glued to the two figures. “I mean, it’s more solid than just earth, it’ll make a much better weapon at least.”

Iwaizumi doesn’t look away from Bokuto’s dome. “Bokuto can’t bend metal.”

Oikawa’s eyes widen, his eyes quickly landing on Iwaizumi before moving back to the fight. “What? I thought metal bending was pretty common, and I mean, Kou-chan's a pretty powerful bender, how could he not?” 

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “Metal bending isn’t uncommon, but some people just don’t possess the skill. You’re either born with it or not. Most of the avatar’s couldn’t bend metal, but some could. Kiyoko never picked it up.” 

Akaashi nods, a small smile playing on his lips. “She still tries to bend our cutlery sometimes, but it’s yet to provide any results.”

They turn their focus to the battle. Kiyoko is back on the ground and with a hard slam of her fist, she caves the earth walls scattered around the field, clearing her view. Bokuto stands behind one of them and the second it hits the ground, he flings chunks of earth at her, keeping her hands occupied from bending fire or air at him. She dodges smoothly, eyes trained on Bokuto’s movements. 

Bokuto suddenly stamps his foot, elevating the land Kiyoko is standing on. Kiyoko jumps off and Bokuto slams his foot again, a chunk of land elevating right in her direction. Akaashi is leaning over the rail, a look of worry covering his features, but it doesn’t fluster Kiyoko in the least. With a sharp swerve, she lands strongly on her feet and bolts in Bokuto’s direction, bending a combination of air and fire at him, like a flame thrower from hell. Bokuto does a few back flips, avoiding the brunt of the heat and putting some distance between them. 

“She’s so light on her feet,” Oikawa marvels, eyes darting from side to side. 

Hinata nods, eyes sparkling. “She’s always been so nimble and quiet. Just listen, try to hear the sound of her footsteps.”

They focus on that for a moment, and Iwaizumi immediately understands. 

“Bokuto cant really use his seismic sense to locate her very accurately, because she moves so swiftly and quietly. For earth benders like us, our sense of vibration is a visual as good as our eyes can provide. It’s annoying him, I think.” 

“He’s still fairing pretty well,” Akaashi mutters, seeming impressed. 

Oikawa looks at him from the corner of his eye, “How so?” 

“He’s not exactly winning, but even after this long, he isn’t flustered. He isn’t making any stupid mistakes or rash decisions, and that’s a feat that’s impressive, in and of itself.”

Iwaizumi agrees. The fight hasn’t gotten to Bokuto’s nerves yet, which he thinks is a small victory on its own. Bokuto is breathing a little hard, a few rocks floating around him, a slab sitting in front of him as protection. His eyes are still intensely focused, millions of strategies and ideas flitting through his brain every second. It’s marvelous really. 

With a sudden burst of energy and a move almost as bold as it is stupid, Bokuto exposes himself to Kiyoko, shooting rocks at her while running right towards her. As she pushes them away, Bokuto takes advantage of her momentary distraction and kicks some sand, making himself a make-shift smokescreen. He swerves around her, quick and efficient, creating a circular depression in the ground beneath her. Kiyoko isn’t moving, just observing, while using her airbending to clear up the space around them. 

But it’s already too late. 

“I can’t bend metal,” Bokuto announces loudly, voice strained. “But I’m not completely useless either.” 

With his palms planted in the ground, Bokuto grunts, his face red with strain. Nothing happens for a beat, and then Iwaizumi’s the one leaning over the railing, eyes glued to the circular depression around Kiyoko. 

There’s a heat coming from the battlefield, but that shouldn’t be possible, because Kiyoko hasn’t used any fire bending in a while. Oikawa tries to assess the situation and he uses Iwaizumi’s line of sight to try and make sense of what is happening. 

The circle doesn’t look the same as before, but the difference is small. The land seems darker somehow, and slowly, steam begins to rise from it. Kiyoko seems transfixed on the ground as well, and her expression morphs into one of shock. 

Suddenly the earth seems to _melt_ , and the depression is filled with red, hot, thick liquid, filling in the cavity immediately. 

“Oh my god, Kou-chan, he-“

“Bokuto’s a lava bender,” Iwaizumi completes, breathlessly. 

It all makes sense suddenly; Bokuto being as strong as he is and not being able to bend metal. Iwaizumi had found it odd just like Oikawa, but being a lava bender meant one couldn’t bend metal as well. 

Hinata and Aone look just as shocked as Akaashi, and Hinata’s cheeks are red from smiling too hard and making those weirdly endearing _Uwaaahhh_ noises. 

“Bokuto-san, you’re so cool!” he yells, and Bokuto spares him a half smile. After all, he can never really resist a compliment. 

The temporary trench isn’t very deep, nor is it very long, and with some air bending, Kiyoko could certainly escape. But she stays put, eyes darting from side to side, as if analyzing just how big it is. 

“Wait, doesn’t this mean Kou-chan’s won?” 

Hinata gasps, scandalized, and Iwaizumi quirks a brow. 

“According to the rules,” Oikawa continues, eyes following Kiyoko, “the contestant that puts the other in a spot that they can’t escape from or assures death is the winner right? I mean, Kiyoko could just fly away from there, that’s for sure, but somehow that just doesn’t seem, I don’t know.”

Everyone completes the sentence for him instead. 

_Doesn’t seem like any fun._

“She knows,” Akaashi says, a smirk twisting his lips in a way that has Iwaizumi worried. “She knows, and that’s why she hasn’t gotten away yet. She’s trying to figure it out too, and judging by her movements, I’d say she’s got something up her sleeve.” 

With a tiny nod, Kiyoko breathes in deeply and widens her stance, her hands coming together, palms pressed to one another. The position of prayer. 

Oikawa recognizes that stance, because every water bender uses it to gather energy, especially before performing a rather difficult move. 

Bokuto’s watching the Avatar from the outside, a few rocks floating around him, his guard up. He seems almost anxious, because he’s smart enough to know that underestimating the Avatar is not an option. 

Kiyoko’s eyes open suddenly, and everyone’s tensed. Without wasting another moment, she begins moving her arms, her movements quick and effective. Oikawa recognizes them all, and even Iwaizumi picks up on them, but the movements aren’t nearly as graceful as Oikawa’s are. In moments, she bends an ice bridge for herself, and crosses it before it melts into a puddle of water. 

Hinata whoops loudly, practically falling off the stand. “That’s how we roll, Ki-san! Kick his butt!” Bokuto throws him a betrayed look at Hinata chuckles nervously. 

Bokuto starts flinging rocks at her again, but Kiyoko dodges swiftly and pushes him back hard with a strong gust of wind. She charges in and they begin a bout of hand to hand combat, throwing in a little bending every now and then.

“What I don’t get,” Iwaizumi murmurs, almost under his breath, “is how she made an ice bridge. There’s no water in sight.”

“That’s it though,” Oikawa says, eyes darting between the two fighters. “There’s no water _in sight_. Water, however, is everywhere. It’s in the air around us, only it’s in the form of vapor.” He lifts his right hand and swirls a finger, till a thick swirl of water follows the motion of his finger. “It’s not an easy form of bending, not at all, but it’s not impossible.”

Oikawa doesn’t need to specify that it takes great strength and prowess to procure any amount of water, let alone the amount Kiyoko had just done. Iwaizumi notices Oikawa’s grip on the railing get tighter and tighter, the ghastly white of his knuckles making him sigh. He slowly places his hand atop Oikawa’s, grasping it firmly. Oikawa loosens his hold and huffs, and Iwaizumi drops his hand after giving him one last squeeze.

“So they’re doing hand to hand right now,” Hinata states, watching with a curious cock of his head. “Who do you think is stronger, Ki-san or Bokuto-san?”

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi answers immediately, to everyone’s surprise. “Kiyoko is a very dedicated bender and a very strong person, but physical fighting has never been an air benders style. Besides, based on his physique alone, one could assess that Bokuto-san possess a lot of raw strength. Kiyoko is quick and can throw a punch, but from the looks of it, Bokuto-san isnt all bark, no bite.”

Iwaizumi bites back a small smile. He cant imagine the look of complete and utter happiness on Bokuto’s face if he found out Akaashi was complimenting him so openly. 

Oikawa points at the fighters, “I think Kiyoko-san’s come to the same conclusion.”

Kiyoko has moved back again, and she’s also breathing a little hard, but she’s In much better shape than Bokuto, who seems sluggish and exhausted. 

“Akaashi-san,” Aone speaks up for the first time, “how much longer?” 

“Just over 45 seconds,” Akaashi says, eyes darting to Aone once before going back to the field. 

“Uh oh.”

Everyone looks at Hinata and he blushes under their stares, rubbing the back of his head. “Nothing! It’s just, when Ki-san takes that stance, it usually means she’s planned the final move.”

Everyone zeroes in on Kiyoko, who’s currently holding a fighting stance, her right leg in front, hands raised like a boxer’s. In a movement so quick, no one, not even Bokuto has the speed to follow, Kiyoko slams her hands in the ground and suddenly Bokuto’s in the air, an entire section of the earth caging him till the chest. Before his hands land on the earth surrounding him, Kiyoko makes two gigantic blocks of ice around his fingers, encompassing the entirety of his palms. 

She holds a ball of fire in her hands, and that’s when Akaashi pushes a finger in his mouth and whistles. 

“The match is over, Avatar Kiyoko wins.” 

Hinata whoops again, eyes sparkling in admiration while Aone pumps his fist in a movement so small only Iwaizumi catches it. Bokuto hangs his head down, naturally dejected like the day Oikawa and Iwaizumi had first met him. 

“What are you basing that decision on?” Oikawa doesn’t sound harsh or malicious, just curious. 

Akaashi catches Iwaizumi’s eye and nods, and Iwaizumi begins lowering them down. He then faces Oikawa. 

“Based on the state of his hands and his general immobility, Bokuto-san will be incapacitated for a while. Besides, Kiyoko took him far enough from the lava that the ice wont be melting before she can finish him herself.”

Iwaizumi looks back at the lava pool and whistles softly. Kiyoko had definitely thought this through. 

Just as they reach the two fighters, Kiyoko has Bokuto lowered to the ground, working on the ice blocks and melting them without hurting Bokuto. 

“That was absolutely amazing, Kou-chan,” Oikawa says warmly, accompanying his words with a bear hug. Bokuto slumps into him and hugs him back, his arms wrapping around Oikawa’s middle tightly. His hands are shaking, and when Oikawa releases him, Iwaizumi grabs his forearm firmly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

“Consider me proud.” Bokuto flashes him a half smile. 

Before anyone else can speak, Kiyoko pitches in. “That is, by far, one of the most riveting fights I have ever taken part in. Bokuto-kun, you were extremely strong and very sure of your skill, and your technique was flawless. I’m also fascinated by your bending as I have never met a lava bender before. Truly, a pleasure.”

Bokuto gives her a low bow, but keeps his head bent when he stands up to his full height. “I still lost, didn’t I? And you didn’t even go into the Avatar state.”

“Maybe so,” Kiyoko concedes, but she moves forward and places a hand on his shoulder, “but that doesn’t stop you from being a wonderfully capable fighter. I have trained my whole life, mastering the elements and keeping myself fit to protect the world and those I love. It is my job to win, and yet, you made me put my guard up and use some of my best moves. I would go so far as to admit you are a worthy rival. Practise your lava bending Bokuto-kun, you will certainly go far with it.”

Bokuto’s smile is small but genuine, reaching his wide sparkly eyes. He suddenly turns his attention to Akaashi, bouncing in place. 

“Wasn’t I awesome, Akaaashi?” The drag of the a’s makes it endearing as hell, and both Oikawa and Iwaizumi don’t miss the slight blush coloring Akaashi’s cheek. 

“You were really good, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi admits, cringing slightly when the man hollers. Iwaizumi sniggers, and Oikawa elbows him to shut up. 

While Hinata and Bokuto are busy yelling at each other, Aone keeping them in check, Akaashi, Oikawa, Iwaizumi and Kiyoko move away and stare at each other, unsure of how to begin their discussion. 

“So, two elements?”

Oikawa nods, “I cannot bend other elements, only fire and water. I have certainly tried, and failed repeatedly.”

Kiyoko nods, a troubled sort of look in her eyes. Iwaizumi knows she’s not telling them something. 

“What is it, Kiyoko?” 

Kiyoko flinches and sighs, sounding a bit defeated. “This is just a rumor I heard during my travels, so I’m not sure how much of it comes from any semblance of truth, but when King Ushijima’s son, prince Wakatoshi was born, a prophecy was made that the earth was going to perish at the hands of fire and ice. 

The King, being the level headed man that he is, didn’t immediately accuse the fire and water tribes or criminalise the avatar, rather, he asked the prophet for more information. Apparently, he then revealed that I would try to keep this world safe but one person could change the fate of the universe. Or so the story goes.”

Kiyoko looks at Oikawa with a bittersweet smile. “I never gave the story any thought, until last night.”

Oikawa’s insides feel hollow, and a bout of shivers wrack his entire frame. There’s a heaviness to Kiyoko’s words that are making him unbearably anxious, and he tries to keep a brave, straight face. Iwaizumi rests a hand on the small of his back, and the tiny gesture provides him with some much needed comfort. 

“So, what next?” 

Kiyoko is staring at them, her eyes piercing and focused. Oikawa holds her gaze. 

“You do not seem like a bad person to me,” she declares, confident. “I do not believe you wish anyone harm, so I see no reason to capture or harm you. However, my mentality will most likely not reflect everyone else’s, especially not the Earth King’s, or his son’s. The only thing I can think of at the moment, is for you to get someone to train you in fire bending, till we figure out more about this prophecy.”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa blink, taken aback.

“Train my firebending?”

Kiyoko nods, slowly making her way to her own Bison, the rest following her. “You must learn to keep yourself safe, and your firebending will help with that. As a possessor of four elements, I can honestly say that the strengthening of one strengthens the others.”

Just as they reach her bison, she turns around, placing a hand on the creature’s head, stroking gently. 

“You must travel to the fire nation and search for a teacher, _your_ teacher. You will know when you find them. Once you do, learn. Learn till your firebending is on par with your waterbending. I will try to find out more about this prophecy, and I will keep you informed through Hajime and Ivy.”

She gives Oikawa a tired smile and he’s struck by how insanely pretty she is, his breath catching in his throat. “I know this is a sharp turn of events, but we must act soon. The king will be stepping down any day now, and it is well known that prince Wakatoshi has taken that prophecy seriously. You may be in a lot of danger, so the sooner you prepare yourself, the better. It is of some comfort to me, knowing that Iwaizumi’s there to take care of you and have your back.”

Iwaizumi smiles at this and gently pats Kiyoko’s shoulder. “Thanks Kiyoko. You must be busy, so you head back, I’ll bring these idiots to the temple ok?”

Kiyoko nods and mounts the bison, Akaashi closely following her. He gives them a swift nod and then they’re off, flying away through the clouds. 

“She’s really something.”

Iwaizumi nods, exhaling softly. “That she is.”

They turn around and walk towards the group, still bubbling with energy but swiftly draining, and Oikawa seems older somehow, like the weight of the world is pushing him into the ground. 

Iwaizumi smacks him. Hard. 

“Oww, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa cries out, rubbing his back awkwardly. “Why are you such a brute? I didn’t even do anything!” 

“Don’t act like you’re alone. Don’t shoulder this burden alone. You are not alone. You’ve got Bokuto, and you’ve got me.”

Oikawa straightens up and stares at him before nodding, a determined expression on his face. Iwaizumi knows what that look means. 

They’re going to the fire nation and Oikawa's going to become a firebender, at any cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i need to clarify this right away- _USHIJIMA IS NOT AN EVIL BASTARD ___
> 
> _  
> _this may qualify as a spoiler, but im sick of portrayals of ushi where he's an asshole. im not saying anymore tho. :3_  
>  _
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _FIRE NATION IM SO HYPED ABOUT THIS ARC._  
>  _
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _ive never written fight scenes before, so any feedback is appreciated!_  
>  _


	6. The Dragon's Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto greets cheerily, clueless about the eyes that are trying their best to stay on his face and not his extremely beautifully built body. “What’s up?”
> 
> Akaashi coughs, looking away. “Dinner is ready.”
> 
> Iwaizumi dumps the rest of the clothes on the mattress and hauls Oikawa to his feet quickly. “Good, cause I’m starving.” 
> 
> “Me too!” Bokuto booms, moving to the door. 
> 
> Akaashi quirks a brow, and Bokuto falters in his movement. He turns his face around, eyes landing on Oikawa.
> 
> “Why is he looking at me like that?” he loud-whispers, hiding his pointed finger behind his palm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a brief warning- there's a little bullying at the end, though nothing descriptive or graphic
> 
> ~~jezuz i need to write shorter chapters~~

“Do we have everything we need?” 

Oikawa glances into his knapsack, nodding an affirmative as his eyes rove over its contents. “Food, a little bit of money, more water pouches, fake passports just in case, and some basic medicines.”

Iwaizumi turns back to look at his own bag and sighs. “I’m gonna miss this place.” 

Oikawa looks away, “Yeah, me too.”

“But-?”

Oikawa looks back at him with watery eyes. “I’m gonna miss the people more.”

Iwaizumi doesn’t bother pretending like it isn’t going to affect him because truth of the matter is, within a few weeks time, Bokuto had become part of their extremely weird, slightly dysfunctional team, and it just didn’t seem right without him. He sighs softly, shoving another folded shirt into his bag. He doesn’t need to voice it out for Oikawa to know.

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning, alright?” 

Oikawa nods, gingerly taking a seat on his mattress. 

They work in soft silence for a few minutes but it doesn’t last long because Bokuto suddenly throws the doors open in his usual dramatic, boisterous way. 

“Hey hey hey!” 

Oikawa flashes him a wary smile and Iwaizumi gives him a nod. Bokuto lets himself in and walks to the middle of the room before dumping his gigantic, mom-made bag to the floor. 

“Ok so,” he begins, eyebrows pinched, “I want to pack fruits, cause the air temple fruits are absolutely _amazing_ , but Akaashi keeps telling me they’ll get spoiled quickly so he wants me to eat them right now. What do you guys think?”

“Um,” Oikawa looks at Iwaizumi for help, “what are you talking about, Bokuto?” 

Bokuto shrugs. “We’re going to need food right? And fruit counts as food! But it’s too perishable, and that’s just a shame really. So yeah, we should probably eat them now.” He pulls out a pear and offers them to the duo. “Want some?”

Iwaizumi clears his throat. “Bokuto, what are you talking about? Aren’t you staying at the temple?”

“Yeah, I mean, don’t you have a think for Kei-chan?” Oikawa wags his eyebrows suggestively. 

They both chuckle when Bokuto turns several shades of red. “He’s just really attractive ok? But no, I’m not staying here.” 

“We never asked,” Iwaizumi suddenly realized, “but what were your plans after challenging the Avatar?”

Bokuto sits down heavily, taking a bite from his pear. “Well, truth be told, I didn’t have any. I mean, I always thought I’d go back home or something, but then.” Bokuto inhales deeply, a shaky smile on his face. “But then, I met you guys and I thought, I dunno, I could maybe continue travelling with you? I mean, I totally understand if you guys want some alone time, bu-“

Bokuto doesn’t get to complete that sentence because Oikawa suddenly tackles him, pushing him to the ground while engulfing him in a bear hug. 

“Kou-chan!” Oikawa wails dramatically, burying his face in the man’s neck. “We’d love to have you, please never leave.” 

Bokuto laughs in that way that’s so heartily _Bokuto_ , holding Oikawa close to his person. He ruffles his brown locks affectionately before sitting up. “These past few days have been awesome, I mean seriously, you guys are great! And besides, you’re going to the fire nation! I finally get to meet that friend of mine I was telling you about!” 

Oikawa pushes away and crawls to where Iwaizumi’s standing before sitting back down, using his legs as a backrest. He hopes his heart will calms down soon because it still hadn’t fully recovered after hearing what Bokuto was insinuating while mentioning them being alone. Did everyone think Iwaizumi and Oikawa were together? 

Iwaizumi continues to fold more clothes, throwing some clean ones at Bokuto. “Change,” he gestures to Bokuto’s chest before continuing, “also, you never did tell us his name.”

Bokuto wiggles out of his shirt and Oikawa almost feels the need to avert his gaze. Bokuto isnt exactly his type because let’s face it, if asked, Oikawa would say his type is Iwaizumi, but Bokuto’s body is certainly something he’s not immune to. He’s built like Iwaizumi but somewhat thicker in the thighs, though Iwaizumi could probably beat him at arm wrestling. He’s all chiseled muscle and rippling abs, and Oikawa feels a sharp sting of jealousy. He’s got abs of his own sure, and a face that’s too pretty to be legal, but no matter how hard he tries, he’s only been able to build leaner muscle, nothing bulky like Iwaizumi, Bokuto or even Aone. 

“Oh yeah, his name i-“

There’s a knock on the door, followed by the soft sound of the wood being pushed open slowly. “Pardon the intrusion.” 

Akaashi steps into their room and the moment his eyes land on Bokuto, his face turns the most adorable shade of cherry red. He’s surprisingly quick to recover, but Oikawa looks up and shares a knowing smile with Iwaizumi. This ought to be fun. 

“Hey ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto greets cheerily, clueless about the eyes that are trying their best to stay on his face and not his extremely beautifully built body. “What’s up?”

Akaashi coughs, looking away. “Dinner is ready.”

Iwaizumi dumps the rest of the clothes on the mattress and hauls Oikawa to his feet quickly. “Good, cause I’m starving.” 

“Me too!” Bokuto booms, moving to the door. 

Akaashi quirks a brow, and Bokuto falters in his movement. He turns his face around, eyes landing on Oikawa.

“Why is he looking at me like that?” he loud-whispers, hiding his pointed finger behind his palm. 

Oikawa rolls his eyes fondly and curls his arm through Bokuto’s, fingers landing on his forearm. Discreetly, Oikawa looks up to see Akaashi staring at that single point of contact and sniggers to himself. 

_So cute_.

“Clothes, Kou-chan,” Oikawa giggles, giving his arm a light squeeze before pulling away and finding Iwaizumi’s elbow to latch on to. “You’re not wearing a shirt, and while I personally prefer you like this, it isn’t completely appropriate, don’t you think?” 

Bokuto’s eyes widen in understanding. “Ohhh! That makes sense.” 

Oikawa nods and pulls Iwaizumi behind him, walking past Akaashi to get to the door. 

“We’ll go on ahead, meet us there soon alright?” 

Bokuto throws an _Ok_ over his shoulder while Akaashi looks back, catching Oikawa’s gaze. Oikawa winks at him, and cackles lightly when Akaashi blushes again. That earns him a smack on the head from Iwaizumi who ends up dragging him out instead. 

“Stop meddling,” he admonishes, a smile in his voice. 

Oikawa changes his grip and loops his arm through Iwaizumi’s clinging to him. “But they’re so cute!” 

Iwaizumi shakes his head, and moves to pull his arm out. Oikawa clings harder, voice getting all high pitched and annoying, just the way he knows Iwaizumi hates. 

They bicker the entire way to dinner. 

~

“I’ll keep you posted about my findings, alright?” 

Iwaizumi tightens his grip around Kiyoko before releasing her from their warm hug, a soft smile on his lips. “Thanks Kiyoko, you’re too kind sometimes.”

Kiyoko chuckles, eyes crinkling beneath her glasses and Iwaizumi’s heart constricts in that familiar way because Kiyoko is just that pretty. Oikawa pushes past the earthbender and bows to Kiyoko. 

“Thank you Avatar, for believing in me.”

Kiyoko waits for him to stand upright before bowing herself and smiling gently. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Oikawa. I hope it is not the last time.” 

“Not if I can help it,” Oikawa grins, readjusting his bag. 

“Fighting you was awesome!” Bokuto hollers, moving to shake Kiyoko’s hand vigorously. “I hope we can battle again sometimes.”

Kiyoko lets her hand nearly be shaken out of its socket before retrieving it politely. “I would indulge you anytime, Bokuto.”

With a loud whoop, Bokuto moves to stand next to Iwaizumi. 

“Well then,” Oikawa says, slowly turning around, “we’re of-“

“Oh by the way,” Kiyoko interrupts, a cheeky smile on her face, “I thought you’d like some travel companions. They come with flying bisons.”

Oikawa’s mouth falls open, “You don’t mean-“

Hinata and Aone walk into view from behind Kiyoko, a sunny expression adorning Hinata’s adorable features and a stoic but warm expression on Aone’s. They have bags on their backs, and behind them is a slightly confused Akaashi, with a bag of his own. 

“We’re here to help in any way we can, and we’re to accompany you on your journey. Avatar’s orders.”

“Well, if it’s the avatar’s orders,” Oikawa shrugs before running to give Hinata a hug. “Welcome to the team Chibi-chan!” 

Hinata’s eyes sparkle at the word team, and Iwaizumi’s extremely tempted to tell him it’s a bad thing. He refrains, though barely. 

“Anvi and Rahul will make the journey much easier,” Kiyoko explains, “and Hinata has been dying to explore anyway. Some exposure will be good for him. Aone and he are a set piece.” Everyone laughs. 

“And what about Kei-chan?” Oikawa hums, slinging an arm over Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi throws him an annoyed look and rolls his eyes, a small smirk on his lips. 

“I thought he could help hold the fort down,” Kiyoko reasons, though her eyes flit over to Bokuto every now and then. “Plus, he has a lot of connections everywhere, so I’m sure that’ll come in handy.”

Bokuto seems to be vibrating with energy at this point. “This is _awesome_.” 

Hinata jumps over to him and proceeds to agree with all the enthusiasm in the world, Iwaizumi looks like he has the biggest headache in the world and Oikawa does what Oikawa does best- cackles loudly. 

“Well, I think it’s high time Team FAI hit the road?” 

“And pray tell,” Iwaizumi groans, voice thick with sarcasm, “what the hell does FAI stand for?”

Oikawa sticks his tongue out childishly. “Fire And Ice, of course.” 

“ _Of course_ , why would I expect anything else?” 

Oikawa beams at him and Iwaizumi bends a rock at his face. 

Akaashi looks like he regrets joining their team at all. 

All in all, a good start to their latest journey.

~

“So, how far is the fire nation?”

Oikawa and Iwaizumi are atop Anvi with Aone at the helm, while Bokuto and Hinata are engaged in an intense conversation about polar dogs as Akaashi watches on, a look that’s equal parts amused and disgruntled gracing his fine features. 

“The village Bokuto-san mentioned is about three weeks away by bison, taking all factors into account.”

“What factors?” Iwaizumi drawls lazily. He’s lying down with a straw hat covering his face from the sun, hands folded behind his head, biceps out to play. A part of Oikawa _dies_. 

“Breaks, searching for food, sleep at night.”

“Ahh. Doesn’t sound too bad huh, Oikawa?” 

Oikawa snaps out of his extremely inappropriate daydreams and shifts in place, trying to cover everything south of his equator. “Yeah, sounds reasonable.” He purses his lips, suddenly serious. “I really hope this best friend is my teacher. It’ll make explaining my situation less risky. I trust anyone Bokuto trusts.” 

Iwaizumi lifts the hat off his face and eyes Oikawa for a moment before placing it back. “I think we’ll be fine.” 

Oikawa nods, “Yeah, I hope so.” 

The slight twist in his gut tells him things aren’t going to go exactly as planned. 

~

Week one is mostly uneventful. The nights are spent camping wherever the group deems appropriate, while the days are spent flying and making good time. Oikawa and Iwaizumi use the time to bond with Hinata or Aone, whoever they’re riding with, and they decide in no time at all that they absolutely adore them. Hinata is, as they already suspected, an absolute goofball with a playful heart but severe loyalty, especially to Kiyoko and the air temples. Aone is mostly quiet but under his calm exterior is a man that’s interested in botany, of all things, and has an immense love for fireflies. 

“So, have you ever travelled?” Iwaizumi asks Aone, chewing on the leftover meat from that afternoon. 

“I wasn’t born in that temple, or even raised there,” Aone admits, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “I was brought there when I was ten, from a village close to the fire nation. My parents were not benders but descendants of air benders. They had no reason to reside at the temples. I was different. They didn’t want me to leave however, and forced me to stay till I persuaded them to allow me to better my bending with people that could do what I do.” 

Oikawa listens intently, trying to gauge Aone’s mood and sentiments on the entire issue. He seems mostly neutral, like he’s talking about the weather forecast. 

“Do you think you’ve made the right choice?” 

Iwaizumi kicks him hard in the thigh for the undeniably harsh question, but Aone simply looks back for a second and throws them a small, Aone-like smile. “I do not regret leaving home at all, especially since that meant I could meet Hinata.” 

Oikawa laughs and Iwaizumi allows himself a smile before asking, “You guys seem like really close friends, huh?”

“I’ve always looked scary,” Aone confesses, turning to stare at Hinata, who’s currently nodding off at the helm and gently being coaxed by Akaashi to let him take over. “Even when I was ten, and none of the other kids liked me. None but Hinata. He was an oddball too- hyperactive, too kind, strong but a little stupid. He was my opposite in so many ways but we achieved balance immediately. He’s been by my side all this time, and I hope to repay him for his kindness someday.” 

Oikawa slowly moves to sit beside Iwaizumi, pressing their thighs together. Iwaizumi doesn’t say anything, just gives Oikawa’s knee a gentle squeeze. 

“Being friends means you’ve already repayed that debt, Aone,” Iwaizumi explains calmly. “Make sure you always have his back, ok?” Iwaizumi’s looking at Oikawa when he says this, and Oikawa turns away, trying to hide the flush of his cheeks. 

Aone doesn’t say a word but nods, a firm, determined shake of his head. 

~

“ _Akaaaashi_.”

“Bokuto-san, no, absolutely not.”

“But Akaaashi-“

Akaashi massages his temple, fighting off the smile that seems insistent on making itself at home on his plush lips. “Bokuto-san, we are _not_ adopting a koala sheep! There’s no way we can care for it and move it around with us while maintaining our current pace. Plus, keeping any pet is a lot of work, and it’s not even a domesticated animal.” 

Bokuto has the cutest pout on his lips. Iwaizumi coughs into the back of his palm, stifling his laugh and Oikawa bites into Iwaizumi’s sleeve, barely keeping from bursting. Hinata is rolling around, tears streaming down his face while Aone grins shyly, watching their antics fondly. 

“Aww, you sure Akaashi?” Bokuto holds the creature up, keeping it aligned with his face. “Look at how cute he is!” 

“I’m not denying that,” Akaashi grumbles, begrudgingly petting the creature and earning himself a few pleased hums, “but no, he can’t stay.” 

Bokuto releases it, and Akaashi pats his arm. “You did the right thing.” 

Oikawa moves his mouth to Iwaizumi’s ear and Iwaizumi suppresses his shudder, trying not to get overly distracted by the feel of Oikawa’s unbearably soft mouth against the shell of his ear. When he exhales hotly, goosebumps erupt over the entirety of Iwaizumi’s neck and before he can push the annoyingly close water bender away, Oikawa asks, “Is this what flirting looks like?” 

Iwaizumi laughs, scoffing gently. He pushes Oikawa away, “The hell if I knew, I barely flirt myself.”

“Oh?” Oikawa looks far too interested and Iwaizumi’s suddenly very scared. “What kind of romantic history do you have, Iwa-chan?” 

Iwaizumi feels his ears burn bright and he clears his throat, trying to regain his bearings. “I’ve dated a little, but nothing solid. Haven’t been with someone in two years I think.” Pushing his shoulder into Oikawa’s, he throws the question back at the brunette. 

Oikawa looks at the fire they’re all seated around, the shadows highlighting the soft curves of his face. It makes Iwaizumi’s breath hitch in his throat, watching the flames dance in Oikawa’s irises, and he wants to kiss the man just as much as he wants to punch him. 

“I’ve never even been kissed.”

This takes Iwaizumi back. “Seriously?” 

“I wasn’t exactly _liked_ back home, and all those girls and guys that came at me for my looks, I denied them. I deserve better than that.” Oikawa pokes at the fire before squaring his shoulders. “Don’t I?” 

Iwaizumi moves to sit a little closer, pressing a soft kiss to Oikawa’s shoulder before rubbing his other side. “Of course you do. Don’t doubt that.” 

Oikawa flashes him a gentle smile, one that’s genuine and makes Iwaizumi’s heart clench too tight. He hates that feeling almost as much as he absolutely loves it. 

He cant recall a single time he’s felt like this; then again, he knows for a fact that only Oikawa Tooru could make his heart hammer and flat line simultaneously. 

~

Week two is more or less the same, the only striking difference being the fact that everyone is starting to get along more and bond, as an entire team. 

“So, Kei-chan,” Oikawa drawls, swinging his feet into Akaashi’s lap, “have you ever caught a flying lemur with your bare hands?” He wiggles his fingers weirdly and Iwaizumi’s eyebrows twitch, his fingers moving to bend some rocks. 

“I have,” Akaashi huffs, placing his hands on Oikawa’s legs and leaning forward, staring at the campfire. Bokuto sits on his other side, hanging onto his every word. 

“That’s so cool!” he comments, eyes sparkling. Akaashi laughs softly at his enthusiasm, which makes Bokuto smile even harder before his mood visibly plummets, making everyone stare at him subtly. 

“The only thing I’ve caught with my bare hands is a komodo rhino.”

Everyone looks at him incredulously before Hinata jumps up and practically _squeals_.

“Bokuto-san, I’ve read about those! They’re supposed to be so difficult to catch and tame, let alone with your bare hands! How did you do that?”

Akaashi looks impressed as well, leaning forward and focusing his attention on the white haired man. Bokuto seems a little flustered by the attention, but beams at the compliment nonetheless. 

“Thank you! It wasn’t easy, but well, I’ve always had my way with animals. With a little bit of earth bending, I managed to persuade it to let me come close and by the end of it, she was licking my face! What a cutie.” 

“Very impressive, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi compliments, while Hinata goes _Uwhaaa_ and proceeds to ask more questions. 

“Aone,” Akaashi shifts his attention once Hinata and Bokuto are thoroughly engrossed, “how far from the village?” 

Aone snaps his attention away from the orange headed fireball and clears his throat. “We’ve made great time, so I’d estimate another four days before we get there.”

Oikawa nods his approval. “That’s good. The sooner, the better. The last village we were in, I heard the villagers talking about getting their performers ready for the new King _Ushiwaka’s_ coronation.” 

“You haven’t even met him and you’ve given him a nickname?” Iwaizumi muses, with an extremely tight smile. The look in his eyes makes Oikawa uncomfortable, and he keeps it in mind, deciding to bring it up at a later time. 

“Of course,” he shrugs, pulling another stick off the flame and biting some flesh off the fish that’s been cooked close to perfection. “When someone’s hunting me down with the intention of physically harming me, they’ve automatically earned themselves a nickname that they’re one hundred percent sure to disapprove off.” 

Iwaizumi shakes his head and picks a stick for himself. Sometimes, he’s thankful he’s on Oikawa’s good side. 

His pettiness could probably end the world. 

~

The moment the village comes into view, Bokuto goes haywire, nearly falling off Anvi in his haste to tell everyone. Oikawa laughs at his stupidity while Akaashi places a hand over his chest, trying to calculate how much longer till he has experiences cardiac failure. 

“That’s the one!” Bokuto hollers, looking over to Hinata’s bison, a goofy smile plastered across his face. Oikawa squints through the clouds and spots houses scattered across the land, along with a town square and some decorations here and there. There must’ve been a huge celebration there a few days ago. 

It’s certainly beautiful but it cant really compare to ember island which they’d passed two days prior. It’s shaped like a crescent moon, and the lava of the volcanoes took Oikawa’s breath away. Bokuto had been riding Rahul with him at the time, and it seemed like the lava attracted Bokuto as well, his face growing uncharacteristically serious as he looked at the molten liquid longingly. 

“Let’s land in the forests,” Iwaizumi suggests, pointing to the woods by the outskirts, “I don’t want to startle anyone or raise any suspicions.” 

Hinata nods and guides Rahul towards the trees, Aone following his example. 

When they land, Akaashi’s grip on his collar is the only thing keeping Bokuto from sprinting in the general direction of the village. Everyone laughs at his pleading whines, and once they’re all set, they start walking, the mood lively. Hinata loops his hands through Iwaizumi’s and Aone’s, dragging them ahead, while Bokuto has a grip on Akaashi and Oikawa, rocking back and forth with every step he takes. 

“I’m so excited!” he says over and over, as if Oikawa hadn’t heard him the first sixteen times. “I haven’t seen him in forever!” 

“We know,” Akaashi shushes him, throwing Oikawa an exasperated look. “You’re gonna see him in a few minutes Bokuto-san, so please contain your excitement till that moment.” 

Bokuto nods, agreeing furiously. “You’re right, of course you’re right. You’re so smart Akaaashi.” 

Akaashi squeezes his arm and turns away, Oikawa giggling at the reddening of his ears. 

When the village gateway comes into view, it takes a joint effort on Akaashi’s and Oikawa’s part to keep Bokuto under control. He begins to act like an overexcited puppy with a little too much energy. 

They walk around the village, Oikawa and Hinata looking around with wide, overly curious eyes while Iwaizumi chuckles and Akaashi watches on fondly. Bokuto seems focused to the point where he resembles a hawk, eyes peeled for any hint of his friend. 

As they near the town square, they notice a growing crowd, people rushing in to get in on whatever action is happening in the center. 

“He’s there.” There’s an almost frightening determination in Bokuto’s eyes as he makes a beeline for the crowd. 

“How are you so sure?” Oikawa asks, jogging to keep up. 

Bokuto flashes him a 100 megawatt smile, “Because he’s just like you; he loves attention.”

Oikawa would be offended if it a hundred percent weren’t true. 

They wrestle their way to the middle, which isnt too difficult with Iwaizumi, Bokuto and Aone helping out and in no time at all, they’re standing front and center, with an unhindered view of the place. 

“Do you see him?” Oikawa yells over the crowd. 

Bokuto scans the crowd for a second, growing more and more panicked. “No, not yet-“ 

“Guys,” Hinata shouts, pointing at the reason for the crowd, “what the _hell_ is going on?”

Everyone suddenly focuses and Oikawa whistles, completely befuddled. 

It’s a fight, though it seems more like a challenge, than a spontaneous clashing of people. There’s even a referee mediating. And it seems severely unbalanced. 

“Why the hell is a little girl fighting a hooligan?” 

The girl is tinier than Hinata, which is _tiny_. She has blonde hair that’s pulled into a high pony, and she’s currently got both her fists in front of her, her stance defensive. There are bandages wrapped around her palms and fingers, and there’s a cut in her lip that’s bleeding. 

Her opponent is a man with bleached blonde hair, tall and lanky, with an oddly annoying smirk pulling at his lips. He sticks his tongue out stupidly for a second, his piercing reflecting the sunlight for a moment. Clearly, the girl is at a disadvantage, both height and weight wise. 

The man makes a lunge for her and Hinata steps forward, ready to step in between when Aone picks him off the ground, shaking his head. Hinata kicks and shouts but Aone turns his face by the head, and everyone realizes why. 

The girl is fighting back, and she’s whooping the man’s ass. 

There’s been no bending so far from either one of them, which is odd, but with every instance that the man attacks, the girl retaliates twice as hard, dodging at a speed that is absolutely insane and seeming to use the man’s momentum against him. She jabs at his face and arms, his torso and every part of him she can reach. At one point she even slides beneath his parted legs and kicks him in the back, sending him sprawling across the floor. 

Oikawa finds himself unintentionally cheering for her. 

The man finally seems to break, his features morphing into one that resembles rage. 

“You little-“ 

He pulls his gloves off and a ball of fire dances on his finger-tips, and for the first time the girl looks afraid, her hands dropping to her side. The referee blows his whistle as if in warning, but nothing could be fast enough to stop the man’s bolts of fire-

-except, suddenly, there’s an earth wall separating the two fighters, tall and sturdy. 

Iwaizumi walks over to the girl’s side and lowers the wall, staring at the bleach blonde man with cold, stony eyes. “If you want to cheat,” he says, voice level and several shades of scary, “do it with someone that’s as disgraceful as you.” 

The man clicks his tongue and extinguishes the flame, turning around and pushing through the crowd, moving away swiftly. Iwaizumi moves to follow him but is stopped by a gentle pressure on his arm. The girl drops her hand when he looks at her, a nervous but gentle smile on her face.

“Thank you.” 

Iwaizumi flashes her a grin, “No problem.” 

The referee declares her the winner and hands her a bag of coins that she accepts in a fluster. As the team decides to keep looking, the girl stops them yet again.

“Um, my best friends own an inn nearby, and you guys look tired. As thanks, maybe I could set you up for some free accommodation? I do owe you for what you did back there.” 

The offer is tempting, and without much of a fight, they gratefully accept. They begin following her, and Hinata wastes no time in approaching the timid girl with his usual cheeriness. 

“What’s your name?”

The girl flinches but laughs softly, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m Yachi, Yachi Hitoka. And you?” 

The group proceeds to introduce themselves, and the girl seems overloaded by the information, but she gives them each a short bow. Aone seems to scare her the most, but she warms up to him pretty soon, even inquiring about his bison once she realises there are air benders present and Aone is one of them. 

They reach a modest but extremely quaint inn called the _Dragon’s Nest_ , and Yachi slowly pushes the doors open, ushering the group inside. The interiors are warm and dimly lit, with an ambience that is friendly and homely. The group collectively relax, taking in the surroundings. 

A man stands up from behind the counter and walks around it, “Yachi is that you? Guess what, I finally fixed the damn-“

The man stops midsentence the moment his eyes land on the group. Or more precisely, the moment his eyes land on _Bokuto_. 

Bokuto yelps and takes of running, right at the man. 

“KUROO!” 

He tackles the man in a hug, taking him to the ground. The man has no time to brace himself but he goes down laughing, hugging Bokuto back just as tightly. They end up wrestling on the ground, with Bokuto winning by a narrow margin when he gets the man in an unbreakable headlock. 

“Fuck Bo, it’s been too damn long!” Kuroo looks at Bokuto with all the affection in the world, his hand firmly grabbing Bokuto’s wild hair. “I’ve missed you.” 

Bokuto nuzzles his neck and chuckles, “It has, kitten, it has.”

They laugh a little more, still planted firmly on the ground. Yachi looks just as confused as the rest of them, and when Bokuto finally looks up, he grins and stands up, hauling Kuroo up with him. 

“Guys, _this_ is my best friend Kuroo!”

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” the man introduces with a foxy smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Another round of introductions are made, Kuroo’s eyes lingering on Oikawa, Akaashi and Iwaizumi a little too long for comfort. They brush it off. 

“So how do you know Yachi?” Kuroo asks, moving to stand besides her, slinging an arm over her shoulder. 

“We caught her mid battle and saved her from an extremely rude firebender.” 

Kuroo’s mood shifts from jolly to utterly deadly in .6 seconds flat and it’s truly frightening. 

“You _what_?” he grinds out, stare directed at Yachi. She squirms, fingers twisting. 

“She was whooping his ass actually,” Hinata points out helpfully, eyes shining. “She’d almost beaten him, but then he brought in fire and we kinda sensed danger, so Iwaizumi-san jumped in.”

Kuroo sighs, his shoulders relaxing but features still reproachful. 

“Yachi,” he chides in a soft voice, “how many times do I have to tell you not to do this alone? What if they weren’t there, or hadn’t stepped in early enough?”

“I cant help it,” Yachi says miserably, hugging Kuroo’s midsection, “that stupid Teru challenged me again and called you stupid. I won the toss so I said no bending and I _was_ winning till he brought out his stupid fire.”

Kuroo sighs like a distressed parent before ruffling her hair fondly. “You idiot. Just be more careful Hitoka-chan, or I’ll ask Kenma to be your guard 24x7, got it?”

Yachi nods into his shirt. 

“Thank you,” Kuroo says to the entire team. 

“She isnt a bender, is she?” Akaashi asks softly. 

Kuroo shakes his head. “She isnt, which is exactly why I taught her how to fight. A little _too_ well apparently, given that she’s moving around town and knocking people out everywhere.”

“She’s awesome!” Hinata declares, loud and confident. Kuroo laughs, warm, and slings an arm around Bokuto. “I like this lot,” he says. 

Bokuto nods, grinning wide, “Me too.”

 _Me too_ Oikawa thinks. 

~

“So, two elements huh?” 

The look of surprise on Kuroo’s face makes Oikawa crack a smile, but the situation at hand makes him tense. Iwaizumi’s right beside him, and he looks just as wound up, as if he’s expecting the earth nation troupes to come marching through the inn and arrest them all. 

“Yeah,” Bokuto nods grimly, taking a swing of his sake. “And we need to ask you for a favor.”

Kuroo finishes his glass and proceeds to pour himself another one. “Ask away.”

“We need you to teach Oikawa firebending.” 

It’s a good thing Kuroo isnt drinking the sake he’s pouring because Oikawa’s one hundred and ten percent sure he would’ve spit it out all over Oikawa. 

“ _WHAT?_ ”

Bokuto pats his back sympathetically. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but really, we need you to do this. The Avatar thinks the only way Oikawa will be safe is if he improves his firebending. It’ll help improve his water bending apparently.”

Kuroo seems to consider this when another voice chimes into the conversation, soft and a little bored sounding. “It makes sense.” 

Everyone turns their attention to Kenma, a close friend of Kuroo’s and Yachi’s. Apparently the three of them knew each other since Kuroo moved back to the fire nation, and had stuck together ever since. Kenma and Yachi couldn’t bend any elements, but Yachi was a strong fighter and Kenma was the brains behind the inn.

“What do you mean?”

Kenma looks up from the scroll in his hand, his gaze piercing. “If he has control over two elements, learning to control them both will only benefit his overall offensive strength. Besides, we’re not exactly on great terms with the earth kingdom either. If being on their side means we make enemies out of the earth nation, it isnt changing our situation much.” 

Kuroo seems to agree, but both Iwaizumi and Bokuto look perplexed. 

“Wait, what is he talking about?” 

“The earth kingdom troupes have been disrupting festivals and houses trying to search for the person that tames fire and ice, which I’m assuming is _you_.” A long, slightly crooked finger is pointed straight at Oikawa. Iwaizumi’s hand clenches beneath the table and Oikawa grabs it, cradling it in his lap. 

“I guess so,” he concedes, “but I haven’t heard the entire prophecy myself. But rest assured, I don’t intend on hurting anyone, or ending any worlds.” 

“I know. I’m not accusing you of it either.” Kuroo shrugs, “I just don’t like that these guys are being so insistent and annoying about it. It’s all because of that prince.”

Oikawa nods, his lips pressed into a thin, annoyed line. “I wholeheartedly agree.” 

“So,” Bokuto interjects, eyes filled with hope, “you’ll do it?” 

Kuroo looks at Oikawa, in that way that makes him feel like Kuroo’s looking at his very soul before anwering, “Sure, if he’ll have me.”

A relieved smile breaks across Oikawa’s face, and he squeezes Iwaizumi’s hand. Iwaizumi has that same tightness from before in his eyes, but he returns Oikawa’s smile nonetheless. 

One problem down, too many more to go. 

~

Practice starts the following morning at 5. Even after a goodnight’s rest, five is still too early for Oikawa, but it’s his first firebending class and he’s definitely excited, so he hardly complains as much as usual. 

The class is a disaster. 

He cant focus on a thing Kuroo says, and just learning from him feels fundamentally wrong, like something’s _amiss_. Oikawa hates this feeling. 

“I’m sorry, this just isnt working,” he finally confesses, slumping to the ground. 

“Oh thank god,” Kuroo chuckles, moving to grab a water bottle. “I was just about to say the same. This just doesn’t feel right, does it?” 

Oikawa shakes his head miserably. “I was so afraid this was going to happen.”

Kuroo chuckles. “Don’t look like that. You’ll find your teacher soon.”

“And what if I don’t?” 

Kuroo places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Trust me, you will. Now come help me make breakfast. We’re having miso soup and some tofu.”

~

After breakfast, Oikawa drags Iwaizumi back into the town, and they somehow end up around that same town square. They buy some flaming nuts but after burning their tongues, Oikawa cools it with some of his bending before they proceed to consume it with more caution. 

“What are we doing here, Oikawa?”

“Shh, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa stuffs some nuts in his mouth, “I feel like I’m gonna meet more important people here today, so let’s just sit here and wait.”

They stay in that same spot for over an hour, bickering and talking and even laughing. Oikawa loves his team, but alone time with Iwa-chan is something he misses a lot. It almost feels like a date. 

“Why are you red?” Iwaizumi suddenly asks, tilting Oikawa’s face up. “Is the sun bothering you?” 

Oikawa swats him away, fanning his face vigorously. “I’ll be ok, I jus-“

A sudden commotion at the square interrupts their talk and when they look over, Oikawa’s insides chill at the scene before them. 

There’s a boy on the ground, a grocery bag with its contents spilled everywhere next to him. A group of lads in some kind of uniform stand around him, laughing at his grimace of pain. Oikawa can’t see any wound, but that grimace is as real as it gets. 

“You’re such a tyrant,” one of them sneers, mouth twisted in an ugly smirk, “and you’re always gonna be all alone.” 

The man on the ground curses softly, slowly picking up his groceries. Another of the boys' kicks some of it away, earning his actions a few hearty laughs. 

“You stupid cr-“

It takes a moment, but the group finds themselves incapable of completing their sneers because suddenly, they’re all encased in a block of ice, only their heads sticking out. 

Oikawa isn’t even panting, his rage clear as day on his face. He’d used water from a nearby well to bend, and he stalks over to the man, briefly making sure he’s ok before turning to the assholes. 

“You guys are fucking cowards,” he spits out, “and I hope you someday find any semblance of shame.”

Iwaizumi gently hauls the man to his feet and helps with his groceries and they begin walking away, the slightly confused man in tow, when one of the guys speak out. 

“Nothing wrong in paying back a genius that’s always looked down on us.”

None of them talk to each other till they reach the inn, but they do slow down their pace when they notice the man is limping. Oikawa observes him from the corner of his eyes. He’s got a strange haircut and inky black hair, paired with deep blue eyes and a resting bitch face. His build is lean but fit, and he seems angry, understandably so. 

The moment they walk into the inn, Oikawa and Iwaizumi place him on the couch and sit in front of him. 

“You ok?” 

“I’m fine,” he snaps out before sighing. “Sorry, I just-“

“That isn’t the first time?” 

The man looks at Oikawa and nods. “Yeah.” 

“I’m Oikawa, and he’s Iwaizumi.” 

“Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio.”

“You’re a firebender, aren’t you?” 

Kageyama nods, looking a little weary. 

“Why didn’t you fight them with bending then?”

Kageyama looks away, his shoulders squaring. 

“Kageyama,” Oikawa says, voice unnecessarily stern, “why didn’t you fight back?” 

Kageyama looks him dead in the eye, his pupils blazing. “I would’ve killed them if I did.” 

And the worst part? Oikawa knows he’s telling the truth. 

Iwaizumi suddenly excuses the two of them, pulling Oikawa to the side. 

“What is going on?” he whispers, staring at Oikawa in confusion. “You aren’t so harsh on strangers, but you seem almost hostile. What’s going on?” 

“He’s it, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi’s brows pinch in the middle, “He’s what?” 

Oikawa swallows thickly, “He’s the one.” 

He looks back and stares at Kageyama, who’s looking at him with angry, solemn eyes. 

“He’s my teacher.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know that didnt quite turn out the way a lot of people were expecting BUT i hope this doesnt disappoint either. i have some plans for these two, so hear me out ok? xD 
> 
> i also feel like iwaoi are very touchy even pre relationship and i love that aesthetic so much 
> 
> YACHI IS AN ANGEL BABY AND A STRONG ONE AND YOU SIMPLY CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE


	7. When Worlds Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m honestly not one to judge,” Kuroo says, amusement thick in his voice, “but can someone please tell me why we’ve kidnapped Kageyama Tobio?”
> 
> Iwaizumi looks at Oikawa, who stares back and shrugs helplessly. 
> 
> “Ok so, I’m not sure how to explain this,” Iwaizumi starts, “but Oikawa saw Kageyama and suddenly realized that this man is his teacher sent from the gods and here we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER** : I am not a disabled person. I have suffered multiple ligament tears though, so I know what pain and acute frustration feels like. This chapter brings with it the introduction of a character that does possess a disability. I want to relay to my readers that I will try my level best to portray the situation accurately, however, in the event that anything I say is in any manner offensive or inaccurate, I would greatly appreciate being corrected and guided appropriately. Thank you for understanding! 
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

“I’m honestly not one to judge,” Kuroo says, amusement thick in his voice, “but can someone please tell me why we’ve kidnapped Kageyama Tobio?”

Iwaizumi looks at Oikawa, who stares back and shrugs helplessly. 

“Ok so, I’m not sure how to explain this,” Iwaizumi starts, “but Oikawa saw Kageyama and suddenly realized that this man is his teacher sent from the gods and here we are.” 

Oikawa cant believe that’s the best Iwaizumi could come up with. “Iwa-chan!” he whines. “But yeah,” he concedes, turning to face Kuroo, “he pretty much summed it up right?”

“What teacher?” Kageyama growls, arms still crossed tightly over his chest, eyebrows pinched in acute annoyance. “Clearly, you’re a waterbender, and I am not. What the hell can I teach you?”

Oikawa flinches, and Iwaizumi lets his gaze drift to Kageyama, offering him a weak smile. “Well, it’s a little, you know, complicated.”

“Then _uncomplicate_ it,” Kageyama mutters, looking tired. “I’m being held here against my will, and if you don’t let me go, I’ll burn the place down.”

“Now I wouldn’t advise that,” Kuroo says, a sickly sweet smile on his face, taking one step closer to Kageyama. His aura is fierce and just _this_ side of menacing, and Kageyama visibly shrinks in place. 

“What Kuroo is trying to say,” Iwaizumi interrupts, drawing their attention, “is that you should avoid being rash. I realize we’re being unfair, but keeping you in the dark till we can confirm that you’re the one is mostly to protect you.” Iwaizumi punches Oikawa in the arm gently, a look of urgency in his eyes. “You need to decide, and fast.”

Oikawa purses his lips. “When Kiyoko chose you, did she tell you why?” 

Kageyama’s eyes seem to widen at the mention of Kiyoko, or rather, at the mention of the Avatar, but Iwaizumi and Oikawa don’t pay him any attention. Their eyes are locked as they just study one another. 

“She said she just knew. The thought of learning from someone else felt innately wrong, and she knew that I was the one that could bring out her maximum potential.” 

Oikawa nods and faces Kageyama again, his stare breaking Kageyama apart, analyzing him piece by piece. Kageyama feels beads of sweat drip down his back, but he’s far too proud to let his fear show too obviously. 

Oikawa sighs, “He’s the one. I just, I just know it. I can feel it.”

Iwaizumi nods and Kuroo sits down, scrutinizing Kageyama slowly. Kageyama begins to feel increasingly uncomfortable, to the extent where he contemplates running out, even at the risk of getting himself killed.

“OK, enough with the hush-hush. There’s a reason why we need you.” 

Iwaizumi’s voice is firm, and when he gestures at Oikawa, Kageyama looks at him warily, arms wrapped around himself protectively. Oikawa lifts his hand up, and a ball of fire, small and weak but _present_ nonetheless, dances above his palm.

The room goes deathly silent for a while, no one speaking, their breathing deep and silent. The three of them keep their eyes trained on Kageyama, Kuroo moving towards the door to block his only exit. Kageyama continues to stare at Oikawa’s fingers long after the flames disappear, the gears shifting and clicking in place in his brain, reflected in his eyes. 

Kageyama exhales tiredly, “So the prophecy is true after all.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widen in shock as he scurries forward on all fours. 

“You know about the prophecy?”

Kageyama cocks his head, “Of course I do.” When the others look at him expectantly, Kageyama shrugs and rubs his neck. “My mom was on the royal council of the Earth Kingdom, and she was there when the prophecy was made.”

“Do you know the exact words?” Iwaizumi asks, sounding breathless. They’d all been brainstorming for days about how to figure out that prophecy without having to go back to the earth kingdom, since it was far too dangerous, but with Kageyama, maybe they didn’t have to. 

“Mom told me a long time ago,” Kageyama admits, “but I haven’t forgotten, can’t even if I wanted to. It goes something like this-

_A child born_

_of Fire and Ice_

_The world loses all balance_

_as fates intertwine_

_Death behold, all shall be lost_

_he will end his world, completely distraught_ ”

The room goes silent again, Oikawa falling back and sitting on the ground heavily, his hands clenching and unclenching where they rest on the ground. Kuroo gazes out the window, the heaviness of Kageyama’s words sinking in, and Iwaizumi tries to decide between comforting Oikawa and dealing with the problem. 

“Well,” he says, trying to lighten the mood, “at least now we know why Ushiwaka wants you so bad.” 

Oikawa nods miserably, his fluffy hair bouncing with the motion. His fists clench and he punches the ground, turning to the side, giving Iwaizumi a chance to look at his profile. His face is contorted in pain, his insecurities bleeding out of every crevice. 

“Maybe Kiyoko should’ve ended me.” 

His words make Iwaizumi angry, so very angry, but they also alarm him. Not once, in the whole time that they’ve known each other, has Iwaizumi imagined a world without Oikawa. He wants to kill him periodically of course, but a world without the brunette doesn’t seem possible. It’s like the world would tilt off its axis or something. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Iwaizumi grunts, standing up and kicking Oikawa’s back, gently. “You’re not allowed to spew such shit.” 

“The real question here is, what do we do?” Kuroo is looking at Kageyama now, his gaze searing. “You, Kageyama-kun, need to decide. Will you teach him? Or will you walk away?” Kuroo shrugs, “It’s a choice of course, but what you saw here needs to remain a secret. You do realize that?” 

Kageyama doesn’t look afraid, but he looks curious. His eyes don’t leave Oikawa, those dark midnight blue irises staring at him and him alone. 

“What are you?” 

It’s a simple question, but loaded with too much meaning and intentions. Oikawa stares right back, refusing to back down. This man is his teacher, of this he is certain, but he doesn’t like him. Not one bit. 

“I don’t know,” Oikawa grits out. “I don’t know at all. I sure as hell am not the Avatar, and I’m not a regular bender, so I can’t offer an answer.”

“And why learn firebending?”

Oikawa laughs humorlessly. “The entire earth kingdom seems to be after me. I need to protect myself and those that are important to me, and the only way to do that is by embracing this side of me. It’ll strengthen my water bending too.” 

“And lastly.” Kageyama slumps, hands falling limply to the sides. “Why _me_?” 

Oikawa shakes his head, a bitter smile on his face. “I have no clue. I wouldn’t want a genius as a teacher either. You are a genius, aren’t you?” 

Kageyama looks away, his lips pressed into a displeased line. “I don’t like that word, don’t use it.”

“If that’s what you are, it’s what you are. No use hiding from it.”

“Yeah well, all it’s brought me is pain. So I’d rather not use it, ok?” His tone is harsh, but the pain in his eyes are evident. Oikawa backs down, especially when he fells the warmth of Iwaizumi’s legs on his back, giving him support. 

Kageyama closes his eyes and tips his head back. “I’ll do it.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widen, “You will?” 

Kageyama leans in and nods. When his eyes flutter open, he bites his lip and turns away. “There’s something you need to know though, something about me.” 

“Go on,” Kuroo gently urges, his voice soft. 

“I’m-” Kageyama clears his throat. “I’m broken.”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “I wouldn’t call you broken.” 

Kageyama throws him a helpless look, “What else would you call it?” 

“Character. You have character, and personality, and probably a heck of a lot of guts.”

Oikawa looks between them, “What the hell are you guys talking about?” 

“Show him.” Iwaizumi gestures at Kageyama’s leg. 

Kageyama swallows slowly before bending down and slowly, oh so slowly, rolling up his pant material. 

Oikawa leans his full weight against Iwaizumi, his heart constricting painfully at the sight in front of him. 

“See?” Kageyama whispers, knocking his fingers against the wood of his leg. “Broken.” 

~

“ _YOU'VE VISITED EMBER ISLAND?_ ”

Introducing Hinata and Kageyama was probably a bad idea, but inevitable nonetheless. Hinata’s enthusiasm seems to induce Kageyama’s rage, and the two of them bicker back and forth, throwing in the weirdest compliments in the mix. 

“You have really nice hair, but you’re too loud.” 

“Well, your eyes are gorgeous, but your face is too scary.” 

Iwaizumi feels one of his now regular headaches forming, and Oikawa watches on in wary amusement. Even Kenma is observing the situation, his scrolls pushed aside. 

“Now, before you guys behead each other,” Kuroo says, pushing the two apart, “where are we doing Oikawa’s training?” 

“Well,” Kageyama mutters, rubbing the shell of his ear, “I think my place is safest. The earth kingdom is looking for him right? It wouldn't go past Prince Ushijima to check the fire nation as well.”

Oikawa hums. “How well do you know this Ushiwaka?”

Kageyama’s lips purse in thought. “I don’t know him, but mom used to tell me about him. He sat at the council meetings when he was just 8 years old, and he’s very smart and stoic apparently.”

Iwaizumi cuts in, “So, where do you stay Kageyama?” 

“Ember Island.”

Kuroo’s eyes widen comically, and Kenma regards Kageyama with suspicion. 

“How?” Kuroo breathes, looking awestruck. “That place is nearly inhabitable with the lava.” 

“Lava?” Bokuto perks up, but Akaashi shushs him with a gentle smack. 

“There are places without lava, and I don’t like the mainland one bit. Too many bad memories.” Kageyama’s hand unconsciously drifts to his leg, fingers clenching the red material. 

“So, is there enough space for us all?” 

Kageyama shakes his head. “I’d say including you and me, we could fit a total of five people remotely comfortably.”

Oikawa looks to his left, catching iwaizumi’s gaze. His presence is a given. 

“I’ll go.” Bokuto’s voice is loud and clear, and he gives Oikawa a reassuring smile before fixing his stare on Kageyama. 

“Wouldn’t it be more suitable for Kuroo-san to-“

Bokuto shakes his head. “I’m a lava bender.” 

Kageyama scrambles to his feet and stares at Bokuto, mouth ajar. “A _lava_ bender?” 

Bokuto nods. “Yup. Cool huh?” 

Kageyama’s stoic, mostly annoyed expression morphs into one of pure amazement, eyes glittering. “That’s pretty amazing,” he agrees. Bokuto laughs boisterously, Akaashi hiding his exasperated sigh and soft smile beneath his hand. 

“I’ll come too,” Hinata volunteers. “I’m an air bender, so I could be of help. Kei-san could scout the village for more info, something I’m not good at, and Aone can keep an eye on Kei-san.”

Kageyama shrugs. “No problem. However,” a sneer curls Kageyama’s lips, “ _do not_ get in our way.” 

Hinata’s back goes ram-rod straight and he almost salutes before marching away stiffly. Iwaizumi shakes his head fondly, and Oikawa wants to hit Kageyama as much as he wants to thank him. Risking his life like this was unnecessary but he’d decided to help Oikawa anyway. For that, irrespective of how much geniuses pissed him off, Oikawa is grateful. 

~

They take Rahul and set off for the island, a sulky Bokuto on board, the white haired man complaining about missing Akaashi already. Hinata stays at the helm, and unsurprisingly, he’s arguing passionately with Kageyama, though it doesn’t seem malicious. The argument seems almost good natured, in its own, Hinata-Kageyama way. 

“You idiot,” Kageyama groans, gently smacking the back of Hinata’s head, “that’s not how long a panther takes to climb a tree!” 

Hinata lets go off one of the reigns to rub the back of his head, throwing Kageyama a seething look. “Bakageyama, I’ve seen panthers in action and it does! They’re kinda lazy to be honest.”

They continue their argument, and Iwaizumi looks at the skies, enjoying the feeling of the clouds kissing his skin. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispers loudly. 

“Hmm?”

“You think chibi-chan has a crush on Tobio-chan?” 

Iwaizumi huffs, pushing Oikawa’s face away. _Too close_. 

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if neither of them has realized it. I mean, they do seem a little emotionally, uh, stunted.” 

Oikawa pushes Iwaizumi’s hand off his face and nods, but in some ways, he has no right to comment, especially about being emotionally stunted. He isn't the same, if anything, he’s too acutely aware of his feelings. He’s just a coward, afraid of losing something so precious to him. 

He glances at Iwaizumi slowly, his gaze fixed on the man’s face, drinking in the affection in his green eyes, and the tight set of his shoulders. They’ve all been on guard these past few days, and Iwaizumi’s protectiveness often makes Oikawa’s heart flop around his chest crazily. 

He’s not _stupid_ of course- Oikawa is a lot of things, but stupid has never been one of them. Obviously, he likes Iwaizumi. Likes him far more than is considered friendly. He wants to kiss him and touch him _everywhere_ , he wants to be special to him in a way no one else is, he wants to see him at his worst, at his most vulnerable and he just wants _him_ , in all his imperfectly magnificent glory. 

Oikawa groans, burying his face in his hands. 

“What are you being dramatic about?” Iwaizumi muses, nudging him with his foot. “We’ve already got one moody bastard right there.” When Oikawa looks up, Iwaizumi points a finger at Bokuto and shrugs. It makes Oikawa crack a smile, and when he takes a moment to think about it, there’s really only one thing he _can_ do. 

“So, Iwa-chan,” he starts, leaning his back into the edge of the saddle and relaxing his posture, “tell me about the Earth-Kingdom.” 

~

Ember island is, for lack of better words, unique. The entire island is hot, excessively so, and covered in volcanoes. It takes the group just over a day to reach, so when they finally land, Rahul stumbles a little and collapses, thoroughly exhausted. Hinata dismounts quickly and hugs his snout, muttering praises and feeding him tiny treats. The group searches for some food for the loving beast before trekking the short distance to Kageyama’s cave. 

He leads them into a den of sorts and stops at the mouth, extending his arms and letting specks of fire leave his fingertips. Everyone watches as they shoot away to very specific locations, before the entire cave is lit by lamps hung on the walls. 

The cave is very homey, with a bed and a dinner table, some art on the walls and tumblers filled with food and water. Kageyama replenishes his food supply quickly, before addressing his guests and future pupil. 

“So this is it. There are some extra sheets in there,” he points at the cupboard in the corner, “and food over there. Feel free to use anything. Oikawa-san, when do you want to begin training?” 

Oikawa hums, “Right now.” 

Kageyama nods, but both Iwaizumi and Hinata protest. 

“We’ve travelled all day,” Iwaizumi argues, his hand encircling Oikawa’s wrist and spinning him around. “Rest. You can start early in the morning.” 

“Yeah, Bakageyama, I bet you’re even grumpier when you’re tired.” Kageyama throws Hinata a venomous look and the tiny man hides behind Bokuto. The white haired man puts his hands on his hips and laughs. 

“Alright, how about this? Kageyama can just briefly assess Oikawa’s proficiency with fire, and then you start training tomorrow?” 

Everyone stares at Bokuto, impressed by the simple but well-thought out plan. Oikawa and Kageyama turn and look at each other before nodding once. Hinata hugs Bokuto from behind, making him grin broadly and place a large hand on Hinata’s head. 

“I’m coming,” Iwaizumi declares. “Hinata, get everyone’s beds ready please? And Bokuto, you help him out.” 

The two nod their agreement while the other three leave the cave and trek down the path they just came from. Kageyama leads them to a landing nearby and turns to face Oikawa. The half-moon shines brightly, illuminating everything with its gentle glow. Oikawa feels power, though only faint, course through his veins- the moon is the most powerful weapon of any water bender. 

Kageyama assumes a relatively relaxed stance. “How is your control?” 

Oikawa turns his palm upwards and generates a ball of fire, letting the flames dance over his palm. 

“Make it bigger,” Kageyama says, eyes trained on the ball of heat. 

Oikawa hums and focuses, willing the flames to become bigger, brighter, more powerful. They reach his chest, and he sweats from the heat. 

Kageyama takes a slightly defensive stance and says, “Bigger.” 

Oikawa trains all his attention on the flames. Fire is the most volatile of all elements; difficult to control and impossible to tame. Only a true firebender can master the art of bending the element completely at their will. 

The flames now reach Oikawa’s hair, and that’s when he feels the strain. As a water bender, it’s natural that his control is better than most, but fire is the opposite of water. Where water is calm, fire is ferocious, burning everything in it’s path to ash and dust. Oikawa feels the weight in his palm, feels the strain and burden of bearing firebending. 

Kageyama steps closer, “Can you make it any bigger?” 

Oikawa grunts and tries, but immediately the flames lose control. Kageyama skillfully directs the fire out of Oikawa’s hand and lets it flow around his body till it dissipates slowly, dissolving into the air with an intense heat. Iwaizumi watches carefully just a few steps away, ready to step in if need be. 

“Your control is far better than I thought it would be,” Kageyama confesses, nodding to himself. “But we have much work to do, and not a lot of time. Tomorrow, training starts at dawn. We will work on control, and getting you used to another form of bending. Water-bending will help, but only to a certain degree, beyond which it will serve as a block.”

Oikawa rubs his wrist and glances up briefly to acknowledge Kageyama’s words, “Sure.” 

Kageyama spins around abruptly and makes his way back to the cave just as Iwaizumi approaches Oikawa from behind, placing a gentle hand on the small of his back. 

“You ok?” He jerks his head towards Oikawa’s wrist. 

Oikawa nods, “I’m fine, Iwa-chan. Just not used to the heat.” 

Iwaizumi hums. “Makes sense. Anyway, I’m an early riser myself, so I’ll accompany you during your training, all right?” 

“Thanks, that’ll be great,” Oikawa says, smiling gently. He bumps Iwaizumi’s hip with his own before grabbing his hand and following Kageyama. 

By the time they reach the cave, Iwaizumi’s fingers are tangled with his, and they let go the moment the others come into view. Oikawa’s face burns, and a stupidly happy smile refuses to leave his lips alone, but they don’t talk about it. 

Oikawa doesn’t want to push his luck just yet. 

~

Oikawa officially, irrevocably and utterly _hates_ Kageyama. 

If being a genius weren’t bad enough, the man has no patience or teaching skills, or _respect_ for that matter. He may be Oikawa’s teacher, but Oikawa is still his senior, and he loathes the way Kageyama sometimes tends to forget that. 

“Oikawa!” the raven-head bellows, breaking his stance. “You need to stand wider and firmer. You’ll be blown away if you don’t remember what I keep telling you!” 

Oikawa is someone that pushes himself to the extreme limits, he knows that better than anyone, but Kageyama takes the words _pushing the boundaries_ to a whole new level. Every single day is filled with grueling training, Kageyama pushing him till the breaking point and then some. He trains on his focus and control, and evenings are dedicated to sparring. 

It’s the most infuriating thing to watch Kageyama battle because he’s just that bloody good. 

His fierce competitiveness and focus makes him a daunting opponent, paired with his unmatched bending and experience. He truly is a force to reckon with.

Sometimes, when Oikawa’s taking a break, Bokuto spars with Kageyama and it’s a truly fun affair. Bokuto is just as intense, and he even bends the lava in the earth. Their matches leave them both breathless, but a silent admiration is established between the two. 

Hinata, for the most part, makes Oikawa very happy by almost unintentionally pissing Kageyama off at all times of the day. Oikawa suspects the raven-head has the smallest crush on the man, and isn’t sure how to deal with it, and if Oikawa didn’t hate him so much, he’d probably advise him. But Oikawa’s petty that way. 

Most days, even with all the hatred, Oikawa can deal with Kageyama. He can deal with his passionate intensity, he can deal with his insane talent, with his abundance of criticisms, he can deal with his disrespect. What he couldn’t have anticipated, a possibility that never even crossed his mind, is the day he _breaks._

“Oikawa! You aren’t focusing. We’ve been practicing this for two weeks now, and we don’t have much time left. You need to try harder and-“

“And what?” Oikawa snaps, eyes flaring. “ _AND WHAT_ , Tobio-chan? Hmm? Become as good as you?” 

Oikawa stands upright, making use of his height over Kageyama. He points a finger at his own chest, “I am NOT a genius. I can never, no matter how much I try, be as good as you. It’s always going to be easy for you, I’m sure you’ve never had to struggle a goddamn day, but us normal folk have to work three- no four times as hard just to get where you are! So do _not_ talk to me about trying. Believe me, I have, and believe me, it doesn’t work.” 

With every sentence, Oikawa steps closer to Kageyama till he’s in his face, and before he realizes it, his hand is in the air and swooping down, ready to hit Kageyama. He wants to stop it, his mind and his heart know it’s the worst thing to do but his body moves without his control. At the very last moment, a hand encircles his bicep, the grip so tight it threatens to cut off his circulation. Oikawa’s land goes limp and the hold on his arm is released, letting it fall innocently by his side. 

Kageyama looks shocked, but even worse than that, _afraid_. He doesn’t wait for Oikawa to say anything else, he just turns around and bolts, and very faintly, Oikawa hears Hinata call after him before chasing him. 

He doesn’t need to turn around and look to confirm that Iwaizumi’s the one standing behind him and positively fuming. 

“I-“ Oikawa starts, twisting his head back slowly. 

“Shut up.” Oikawa shuts up immediately and turns around on the ball of his heel. Iwaizumi looks livid, his entire frame shaking. 

“Iwa-“

“How dare you?” Iwaizumi bites out, jaw clenching. “How dare you say those things? Easy, Oikawa? _Easy_?”

Oikawa opens his mouth but Iwaizumi cuts him off, “The boy has a wooden leg! He was bullied back on the island, why do you think he’s even here?” 

Oikawa snaps his mouth shut and gapes. He didn’t know that. 

“Oh, you didn’t know.” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, the movement anything but fond. “You didn’t know, because you didn’t bother to ask. Oikawa, listen to me- this man was under no obligation to help you, or risk his life teaching you fire bending. He’s risking it right now just housing you, giving you a home these past two months, and all you’ve been is ungrateful. That boy might be a genius, but he’s also human. Same as you and me. I’ve had enough of your selfishness.” 

A chill spreads through Oikawa’s body in a heartbeat, rendering his mouth dry as his chest aches viciously. 

“Apologize,” Iwaizumi says, eyes steely. “Apologize, and _mean_ it. Kageyama did not deserve that, doesn’t deserve any of this honestly, and in case you hadn’t noticed, the kid admires you. A lot.” 

“What?” Oikawa croaks, somewhat finding his voice. 

Iwaizumi throws his hands up, “You didn’t know that either? Come on shittykawa, he looks at you like you’re a god! Remember the day you showed him those water bending moves to control lightning? He was so thankful, he spoke to me about it all sparkly eyed. He thinks your water bending is amazing, and he thinks your fire bending is improving at an astonishing pace. He’s hard on you because he knows you’re capable.”

Iwaizumi jabs a finger into Oikawa’s sternum. “Apologize,” he repeats, “and don’t come back till you do. I’m making dinner with Bo.” 

Iwaizumi walks away, leaving Oikawa behind to feel like the world’s biggest douche. 

~

“There you are, Tobio-chan.” 

After nearly an hour of searching, Oikawa finally finds Kageyama on a cliff, his wooden leg sitting beside him while the other is dangling off the edge. The view is beautiful- a moonlit vision of the sea, and Oikawa lingers behind, feeling terrible when Kageyama’s shoulders tense. 

“I need to, I need to talk to you. May I sit down?” 

Kageyama doesn’t say a word but he shifts a little to the side, making some space for the brunette. Oikawa sits down gingerly, eyes attracted to the midnight blue waves. 

“I feel like an apology isn’t enough,” Oikawa starts, wringing his fingers in his lap, “but I have to begin somewhere, so I’m really sorry Kageyama. You didn’t deserve that, not one bit.”

They don’t look at each other, but Oikawa knows the younger man is listening. 

“Of all people, for _me_ to be the one bullying you, it seems like such a joke. I was bullied back at home, and I know how much it sucks.” Oikawa lowers himself slowly and lies down, staring at the sky and the silhouette of Kageyama’s back. “I don’t hate you Kageyama, I know it looks that way, and sometimes I do think it, but I think I’m just really envious of your skill. Talent, I’ve learned, is something you nurture, something that grows. But your innate skill will always trump that, and I resent it.” 

Kageyama surprises him by lying down as well, his face pinched with pain. 

“It’s not easy being like me,” he says softly. “I may be, in your words, a genius, but I never had friends growing up. I was always despised, and the other kids at the academy hated when my teachers paid me more attention, and it’s not even like I asked for it!”

Kageyama swallows thickly. “I don’t even remember my parents, I was always raised in an orphanage. The kids picked on me endlessly because of it, and I hated it.” 

Before Oikawa can control himself, his hand finds Kageyama’s in the dark and he gives it a tight squeeze before letting go. Kageyama clears his throat and goes on. 

“I practiced every single day to get better. Everyday, for as long as I could before passing out. My life revolved around bending. And then the fateful night occurred.”

Kageyama inhales shakily. “My classsmates decided to play some stupid game of courage. One thing led to another and things got dangerous. A friend of mine was standing by the edge of the cliff and someone pushed her off, and I just. I had to jump after her. I saved her, and we landed in some trees but my leg was filled with splinters, and the bone completely shattered on impact. I had to lose it.” 

Kageyama turns his head and looks into Oikawa’s eyes, “I have never regretted my actions, but I promised myself I would never go back to that stupid village ever again. I didn’t have it easy Oikawa-san, but neither did you. We’re in the same boat.” 

Oikawa rolls over till he’s sleeping on his side, eyes glistening. “Thank you for being my teacher,” he murmurs, smile watery. “For risking your life and teaching me so much in just two months. I-“

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” Kageyama muses, “which is one of the reasons I couldn’t refuse. I want to use my bending to make other’s better, to compliment them. I wanted to be the best teacher in the world!” 

“You will be.” Oikawa says confidently, flashing Kageyama a smile. “You definitely will be. Don’t worry about it.” 

They smile at each other awkwardly for a few moments before Kageyama coughs and turns away. 

“Your training should end in three more days, so we can ask the others to prepare for our departure from here soon.”

“Three is enough?” 

Kageyama smiles at the moon. “It’s plenty. You’ve learned well.” 

“I had a good teacher.” 

Oikawa turns onto his back and sits up, He flashes Kageyama a cheeky smile and coos, “Oh and Tobio-chan? If you have a crush on chibi-chan, it’s better if you just tell him. He’s a little dense sometimes, he wont notice otherwise.” 

Oikawa howls with laughter when he sees Kageyama’s face turn an impossible shade of red. 

_This_ is more like them.

~

“Is everyone ready?” Hinata calls, reigns in hand. Everyone shouts a _Yes_ , Bokuto shaking his head enthusiastically as well. To say he’s missed Akaashi these past two months would be an understatement. 

Bokuto had done a lot more work than anyone could’ve anticipated. Kageyama once had him bend lava till it made a moat of sorts with a piece of land in the middle. Kageyama then used Hinata to transport Oikawa to the spot and he was forced to endure the heat as training. Within moments, Oikawa had shed his shirt and screamed profanities at everyone. He never knew the human body was capable of sweating quite so much. 

Training, overall, had been difficult, but in its own masochistic way, satisfying. Oikawa knew the feeling of fire now, and he knew how to control it to the extent where he could protect himself and those around him. He had much to learn of course, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It just gave him something to look forward to. 

Hinata smiles brightly and yells, “Yip Yip!” and Rahul takes off. And then they fly. 

~

When they finally land in the forest next to Anvi, exhausted and a little airsick, Hinata jumps off Rahul immediately and launches himself at Aone, wrapping his legs around the man’s torso and pulling him close for an air restricting hug. 

“I missed you,” he wails, face pressed into Aone’s forehead. The giant of a man holds Hinata by the waist and smiles, lowering him gently.

“As have I,” he says, smiling tenderly. Oikawa melts at the sight and Kageyama fumes, enough to make the brunette laugh. 

He elbows Kageyama, “They’re just best friends. Don’t look like that.” 

Kageyama sticks his tongue out shoves a laughing Oikawa away. Iwaizumi ignore both of them. 

Bokuto takes off running, his aim most likely Akaashi, tearing through the forest at light speed. Oikawa calls after him in vain, and after giving Rahul sufficient food, the five of them walk back slowly, tracing Bokuto’s steps. 

They reach the archway of the village and Oikawa catches sight of Bokuto immediately, hugging an extremely flustered but pleased looking Akaashi. He’s about to call out to them, dying to enquire about the earth kingdom’s movements and what the next line of action should be when a familiar tuft of red hair catches his attention and the blood flowing through his veins chills immediately. 

Satori looks at Oikawa the same moment Oikawa’s gaze lands on his face. 

His reaction is instantaneous- he grabs Iwaizumi’s arm and runs back into the forest just as the cries of _Halt_ reach him. Kageyama, Hinata and Aone sprint back with them as they navigate through the thin crowd and retrace their steps back to the bison. 

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi grunts, shaking Oikawa’s hand off and moving to hold his hand instead, running beside him, “what happened?” 

“It’s the earth bender,” Oikawa pants, his pace increasing at the mere thought of the man and his ferocious gaze. “The earth bender that came looking for me in the water-kingdom. He’s here.” 

Understanding dawns on Iwaizumi’s face and he takes the lead, going straight for the bison. 

Hinata is following them on a ball of air, and he overtakes them easily, looking behind his shoulder to talk to them. “I don’t understand the situation but you guys can’t take Rahul. He’s too tired to do any kind of flying right now.” 

Fear almost locks Oikawa’s joints in place. “I-“ 

“We’ll take Anvi,” Aone volunteers, following Hinata’s example of using an air ball, hands folded in front of himself. 

Hinata jumps off his ball and falls back a little, keeping in line with Kageyama, the raven-head stumbling every few steps, his leg giving him trouble. When Anvi comes into view, Aone rushes forward and puts her saddle on, getting her ready. Hinata uses his bending to put Kageyama on top of Anvi before transferring all their stuff from his saddle to Aone’s. Luckily for them, they hadn’t unpacked yet, assuming it would be easier to do so once they reached the inn and rested a little. 

“I can’t come,” Hinata blabbers, tears in his eyes, “I need to take care of Rahul an-“

“Shou-chan,” Oikawa says, climbing onto Anvi, “we know. They haven’t seen your face yet, so you should be safe. You need to tell Bokuto and the rest to stay low, and tell them we’re going to disappear for a while but we’ll use Ivy to stay in touch, alright?” 

Hinata nods and locks eyes with Kageyama. 

“Don’t die,” he commands, eyes still brimming with tears. 

Kageyama punches him in the arm and offers him a smile, small but genuine. “Obviously, idiot. Same goes for you by the way.” 

Hinata flashes him a watery smile just as Aone says _Yip yip_ , taking Anvi into the air. The group waves at Hinata before ducking, Aone navigating his way through the tree cover and out into the open air just as a group of earth benders reach the clearing, yelling loudly. Hinata is nowhere in sight, and neither is Rahul. Oikawa sighs in relief. 

Leaning into Iwaizumi’s side, Oikawa buries his face in his hand and groans. 

He hadn’t anticipated this situation at all, not one bit.

In retrospect, no one had. 

“Where to?” Aone questions, after about an hour of flying. 

Oikawa looks into the distance. “The south pole.” 

Iwaizumi leans down and whispers in his ear, “You sure?” 

Oikawa can’t speak, his throat tight with emotion, but he nods. They have no where else to go.

Nowhere left to hide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CANNOT WRITE PROPHECIES OMG HELP 
> 
> i love oikawa i love him my frustrated dumpling 
> 
> say, i havent said much about iwa-chan's past, have i? ~~side eyes~~

**Author's Note:**

> Comments give me life guys! I'd love to share head canons and ideas with all of you.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Also, here's my [writing blog](http://qitwrites.tumblr.com) in case you wanna HMU.


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